Human remains found in Chula Vista identified as missing 16-year-old girl Kimberly Arteaga

LEMON GROVE, Calif. -- (KSWB) -- Over three years after a 16-year-old girl was reported missing, authorities identified human remains found in Chula Vista as missing girl Kimberly Arteaga.

Family members reported Arteaga's disappearance on January 7, 2014. San Diego County Sheriff's Department detectives investigated the report, but it wasn't until three years later that they received a tip.

On January 13, 2017, a person walking a dog in the Otay Valley Regional Park in Chula Vista found human remains and told Chula Vista police, authorities said. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and DNA samples were sent to the sheriff's crime lab for identification.

The sheriff's department announced Monday the remains were positively identified as Arteaga. The Medical Examiner's Office determined her death was a homicide.

Detectives said it is likely Arteaga's death happened around the time of her disappearance.

Authorities have sealed all other details about the Lemon Grove resident's death.

Anyone with information about the case should call the homicide unit at 858-974-2321 or 858-565-5200. Callers can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 and are eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.