Editor's Note: NBC11 reporter Damian Trujillo will be filing blogs from Mexico, as part of his investigation into the death of the woman known as the "Castro Valley Jane Doe." Follow his journey here.

They found her!

The woman known only as Castro Valley Jane Doe left the Mexican town of Yahualica in the state of Jalisco on her 16th birthday.

Thursday night, detectives from the Alameda County Sheriff´s office went to her mother´s home, to deliver a death notification.

Sgt. Scott Dudek said there's no doubt the woman he met with Thursday night is the mother of Castro Valley Jane Doe.

"If it was't for DNA w'd positively identify her right now," Dudek said.

Instead, detectives will fly back with DNA they obtained from the mother, and DNA they believe belongs to Jane Doe. Detectives have her name, but will not release it until DNA evidence is confirmed.

Dudek said the meeting with Castro Valley Jane Doe's mother was very emotional. Dudek choked up as he described the conversation to reporters. He's been working on this case for three-and-a-half years.

I flew with him to El Paso, Texas, where he obtained DNA from mothers in the border town of Cinda Juarez, more than two years ago.

He was hoping one of those moms was the mother of Jane Doe.

But it turned out, the real mom is here in Yahualica.

It was the mother who telephoned the police hotline in Alameda County from Yahualica. She obtained the hotline via fliers that detectives have been passing out since their arrival in the small town.

Once DNA is confirmed, detectives will exhume Jane Do's body, and fly her back to Yahualica, to reunite her with her mother, two brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Detectives have a picture of the little girl missing from Yahualica. They showed that picture to reporters on the condition we not photograph it. The picture has a stunning likeness to the forensics bust of Castro Valley Jane Doe.

Detectives said the revelation is bittersweet. They will now fly back to the Bay Area with the DNA evidence, and hold a news conference on Monday.

The person of interest remains a person of interest. Detectives confirm Miguel Angel Nunez Castaneda left Yahualica with Jane Doe. Detectives say it may only be a matter of time before they reclassify him from "person of interest" to a wanted suspect.

After three-and-a-half years of searching, detectives say they can finally bring some peace to their "little girl" and her family.