HOUSTON -- A Houston teenager was reunited with her family Wednesday after being missing for nearly two days, authorities said.

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Family Says Julysa OK

FBI officials told News2Houston that Julysa McKinney, 14, was found safe and was returned to her family after having spent the two days with a man she had just met.

Julysa's aunt located the teenager, and then called Julysa's mother who in turn called the command center, where volunteers with the Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team had begun searching for her daughter.

"(Julysa's mother) says, 'I have good news. The good news is that Julysa has been found. She's OK. She's with her aunt and their taking her to be interviewed by law enforcement,'" said Anthony Freddy, a spokesman for the family.

Julysa had last been seen around lunchtime Monday at Fondren Middle School, 6333 S. Braeswood, in southwest Houston.

Julysa left school on her own and went to a nearby park, where she met a male stranger and spent the last two days with him, but not against her will, authorities said.

Houston police said that around 7 p.m. Monday someone observed a white vehicle occupied by two males, with a sunroof, place a backpack and a purse near the intersection of Derby and Lexington, in Missouri City.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the purse and backpack belonged to Julysa, prompting police to issue an Amber Alert shortly after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

"I think the Amber Alert went out when it should've (gone) out," Texas EquuSearch Director Tim Miller said. "Of course there's going to be some controversy why it didn't go out earlier.

"With the evidence they gathered, I think it went out at the proper time," Miller said.

Police said that the case is under investigation.