A U.S. Navy sailor who disappeared from her barracks about two weeks ago has been found dead, authorities said Wednesday, and another sailor is currently in pretrial custody in connection with her death.
Angelina Petra Resendiz, 21, vanished from her barracks at a naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, on May 29, according to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS. She was reported missing June 3, and the Virginia State Police subsequently issued a “critically missing adult alert” on behalf of the agency.
The Norfolk Medical Examiner identified her body on Tuesday, after remains were found the day before in a wooded part of the city, a spokesperson for the law enforcement agency said in a statement to CBS News.
Authorities have not released the name of the Navy sailor who is being detained in Resendiz’s death. Charges were pending Wednesday, but the agency noted that the sailor would be tried in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That set of rules dictates how the military investigates, prosecutes and punishes personnel for a range of crimes. It applies to active-duty members of the military, the National Guard and Reserve, as well as military academy students, according to the Department of Defense.
Resendiz was a culinary specialist assigned to the USS James E. Williams and based at Naval Station Norfolk, according to NCIS and CBS News affiliate WTKR.
“NCIS has worked tirelessly in close coordination with Navy leadership, the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia State Police, Virginia Search and Rescue, and numerous other federal and local law enforcement partners to pursue all leads since learning of Seaman Resendiz’ disappearance,” the agency said. “NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice.”
Esmerelda Castle, Resendiz’s mother, criticized the Navy’s handling of her daughter’s case in a statement this week, WTKR reported.
“[Resendiz’s] colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal, and after her friends filed a missing person’s report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding,” Castle said in the statement, according to WTKR. “This callousness led to [Resendiz’s] death, which cannot be tolerated.”
A GoFundMe launched to help Castle has raised over $9,000.
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