Person detained, released by PCSD in connection to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

Guthrie was last seen on January 31, reported missing on February

So many people are waiting to see what happens next. For hours we have been working to get information on what was found as FBI agents searched this neighborhood throughout the day. As FBI agents could be seen throughout the neighborhood, our cameras caught them searching multiple desert areas. The search comes less than 24 hours after law enforcement detained a man and searched a home in Rio Rico Arizona, about an hour from Tucson.

TUCSON, AZ — Hours after the release of surveillance video from Nancy Guthrie’s home, authorities detained a man for questioning in connection with her abduction from her Catalina Foothills home more than a week ago. That person has since been released.

FBI RELEASES SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

On Tuesday morning, the FBI released images and video of a masked individual who was seen outside Guthrie’s home.

The video and images showed a person wearing a mask, gloves, and a backpack, captured on a Nest surveillance camera outside of Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home.

The person, who FBI officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon is being considered a suspect, also appeared to be armed.

Watch the videos shared by the FBI in the video players below:

Initially, this doorbell camera footage was inaccessible because the device was not subscribed to a video service. However, the FBI, working with private sector partners, successfully recovered the images from residual data in backend systems.

Watch ABC15’s Ashley Holden break down this footage with former FBI expert Brad Garrett in the player below:

The FBI says: “Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors – including the removal of recording devices. The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems.”

“Working with our partners – as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance,” the FBI said.

FBI

Authorities previously released a timeline of events surrounding Guthrie’s last-known location and events at her home, including:

Feb. 1, 1:47 a.m. – On Sunday, February 1, the doorbell camera at the home disconnected, according to police.
Feb. 1, 2:12 a.m. – Software then detected a person on camera at 2:12 a.m., but since there was no video service subscription, no video was available from this detection.

TIMELINE: What we know about the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance

INDIVIDUAL DETAINED

On Tuesday evening, an individual was detained during a traffic stop in an area south of Tucson, and law enforcement subsequently began to search a location associated with the individual.

Subject detained in connection to Nancy Guthrie investigation. pic.twitter.com/B2pgIwqODt

— Pima County Sheriff’s Department (@PimaSheriff) February 11, 2026

At a location in Rio Rico, Arizona, just north of Nogales, authorities confirmed that their scene is connected to the traffic stop.

A woman in the area told us that her home was under investigation, and her son-in-law was detained by authorities.

Hear from that woman below:

RIGHT NOW: a woman has walked up to me saying that her house is currently under investigation. She claims her son-in-law was detained by authorities.
Things are changing by the minute in the search for Nancy Guthrie @abc15 pic.twitter.com/i2S9Yo5ltx

— Lillian Donahue (@LillianDonahue) February 11, 2026

In the early morning hours on Wednesday, the individual who was detained was released from custody. We spoke to him immediately following his release about what transpired.

In the interview, the man, who identified himself as “Carlos,” said he was held at the scene of the initial traffic stop for hours.

“They didn’t even tell me what’s going on until the detectives got here…,” Carlos said. “They told me I was being detained for kidnapping, and I asked them, ‘Kidnapping of who?'”

At this time, there’s no indication that the person who was detained is the person seen in the newly released video footage.

Later that day, law enforcement provided the following statement regarding the investigation into “Carlos”:

The individual detained for questioning in connection with the disappearance and abduction of Nancy Guthrie had been on the radar of the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department before Tuesday’s public release of the images of a masked subject at her front door, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The individual, who identified himself as Carlos, was detained for questioning in Rio Rico, Arizona, south of Tucson, after the FBI identified him by using a series of electronic investigative tools, including cell phone usage information and traffic data, the sources said, without specifying the exact techniques.

A local judge from Santa Cruz County, Arizona, signed the warrant for the search of Carlos’ house, which was carried out overnight.

Carlos was questioned for several hours before being released without charge. He is under no law enforcement restrictions.

Separately, investigators are studying every pixel of the new video the FBI released publicly on Tuesday to try to find any identifying feature, including the apparent weapon and characteristics of what the subject was wearing, according to the sources.

-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Trevor Ault

NANCY’S DISAPPEARANCE

Crews are continuing the search for 84-year-old Guthrie, who was last seen on January 31.

Pima County Sheriff’s Department

This image from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie.
An alleged ransom note’s deadline came and went Monday evening, with no update on Guthrie’s condition or location.

Savannah Guthrie, an NBC program anchor and the daughter of Nancy, posted her latest video on Tuesday, following the release of surveillance video, with the statement: “We believe she is still alive.”

Follow our timeline of events surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance for details on key known moments in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online.

See our recent coverage of the Guthrie case in the video player above.