She was a runaway that didn't want to be found. I have been in Columbia. It's not hard to find a phone or an Embassy. There are also a lot of American tourists.
14 y/o girl runs away from home, arrested for theft, lies to police. Put on a plane to a place where she doesn't speak the language, and makes enough of an effort to get a job and get on facebook, but not to call/email her grandmother (or friends, or the Dallas Police) and say "Hey, I'm stuck here in freakin' Colombia! Let me outta here!" Good on the grandmother for tracking her down.
I agree. Runaways should have the right to live their lives the way they want, it doesn't matter if they're minors. If a 14 year old wants to run away to Columbia to clean houses for a living we should respect those wishes.
Turner said with the help of Dallas Police, she found her granddaughter in the most unexpected place - Colombia Doubt she'd have even thought to check with immigration on her own. Kids run away for excellent reasons, usually self-preservation is high on the list. Has "Granny" been vetted?