Latest news with #Resendiz
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Body found in Virginia identified as missing US Navy sailor, officials say
A body found in a wooded area of Virginia has been identified as a U.S. Navy sailor who's been missing for nearly two weeks, federal investigators said. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service found the body of Seaman Angelina Resendiz on June 9 in Norfolk, officials said in a June 10 news release. A Navy sailor, who was not named, was taken into pretrial confinement in connection with Resendiz's death with charges pending, according to the release. 'NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice,' officials said. Additional information was not made available. The investigation is ongoing, officials said. The 21-year-old sailor was last seen at 10 a.m. May 29 at her barracks in Norfolk, according to the Virginia State Police. 'The family of Seaman Angelina Resendiz is heartbroken and deeply concerned over her sudden and unexplained disappearance,' KMK Productions, a public relations firm representing the family, said in a June 9 post on Instagram. Resendiz's family asked for 'the assistance of the United States government, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, the Hampton Roads congressional delegation, home congressman Vicente Gonzalez, and President Donald J. Trump to address the systemic issues that allowed her to vanish,' according to a June 10 statement shared with McClatchy News by the firm.. 'Angelina was a kind and compassionate young woman who brought light into our lives,' the statement said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Missing Navy sailor found dead in Virginia, another sailor in custody
What happened to Angelia Resendiz is a mystery, but her mother wants to get to the bottom of it. Resendiz was last seen on May 29 in her barracks in Miller Hall at Naval Station Norfolk, according to a missing person's alert issued by Virginia State Police on June 3. The alert was rescinded Tuesday, when the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) announced the medical examiner identified a body recovered Monday as the sailor. Another sailor was taken into custody. Esmeralda Castle says she wants to talk with the person believed to be involved in the death of her 21-year-old daughter. She doesn't want to know how her daughter died and was left in a wooded area miles from her naval base - she says she wants to find closure. 'This can't happen again,' Castle said. Her daughter dreamed about one day cooking elaborate meals for presidents and world leaders in her role as a Navy cook, Castle said. Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told CNN 'the cause and manner of death is pending,' but would not elaborate further. NCIS placed a sailor in custody pending formal charges, but has not identified the individual. 'A Navy Sailor has been placed in pretrial confinement in connection with the death of Seaman Resendiz. Charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are pending,' NCIS told CNN in a statement Thursday. Castle said her daughter's friends started calling her on May 29 to tell her Resendiz was last seen with a sailor in the barracks. It was out of the ordinary for her 'fun-loving' daughter not to call, she said, or to miss a day on Snapchat with her sister—they had a 400-day streak on Snapchat that was now broken. 'NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice,' NCIS said in a statement to CNN. The case is drawing parallels to the 2020 death of Vanessa Guillen, the 20-year-old private first class who was last seen in the parking lot of her barracks, and was later found in a shallow grave near Fort Cavazos in Texas. The main suspect in Guillen's disappearance was identified as a fellow Army specialist. Resendiz's body was discovered in a wooded area over six miles away from the barracks where she was last seen. 'I don't know if she was alive… I don't know if that's where her life was taken, but that's where she was found,' Castle said. Geraldine Alston witnessed agents carrying a white body bag from the wooded area behind her home on June 9, she told CNN. She later learned on the news the body recovered was Resendiz. 'I'm still in shock,' she said. Alston's back door is about 200 feet from the start of the nearest tree line. The mother of six walked toward the area where the body was found while talking to CNN by phone. She remembered it was hot, humid, and raining intermittently that afternoon as agents walked out of the woods with what appeared to be evidence in paper bags. Minutes into her walk, she came upon something on the grass that made her stop and think of Resendiz's mom. It was a bouquet of fresh flowers. 'Rest In Peace Angelina,' was written on a piece of cardboard. 'I don't feel safe,' Alston said. 'She was lying behind my house in the woods.' Castle says she looks at her daughter's picture every moment of every day. 'She's gone. She's in a better place,' she tells herself. Resendiz was new to the military. She was 21, filled with dreams, and loved singing, music, and painting, according to her mother. She joined the Navy in August 2023, obtained 'recruit' and 'Naval Technical' training, and was assigned to the USS James E. Williams in February 2024, a US Navy spokesperson said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and coworkers of Culinary Specialist Seaman Angelina Resendiz, assigned to the USS James E. Williams (DDG 95),' Commander, Naval Surface Atlantic Public Affairs told CNN in a statement. Castle is raising money through a GoFundMe page to fight for justice for her daughter. She is planning to hold a vigil on June 20 in the Rio Grande Valley, the area where Resendiz grew up. The funeral service has yet to be announced until her daughter's body is released, she said. As for why she wants to speak to the person believed to be responsible for her daughter's death, she says she wants to forgive. 'I… want to get to a place where I can forgive,' Castle said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Arrest made in disappearance of U.S. Navy sailor, 21, later found dead
An arrest has been made in connection with the disappearance of a 21-year-old woman, a U.S. Navy Seaman, found dead earlier this week, according to Naval officials and media reports. Angelina Petra Resendiz was last seen at her barracks at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on the morning of May 29, NBC News reported, but officials with the Virginia State Police did not issue a critically missing person alert for her until the first week of June. The sailor's body was discovered June 9 by members of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in a wooded area in Norfolk. According to the 21-year-old sailor's family, Naval officials, including her commander, dragged their feet after her disappearance. A spokesperson for the family told NBC News that Resendiz's mother, Esmeralda Castle, was not informed of her daughter's disappearance through official Naval channels. 2 men, cousins, accused in brutal 2024 murder of U.S. Marine in L.A. County 'Her daughter's colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal,' according to a statement released on behalf of the family. 'After her friends filed a missing person's report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding.' Officials at NCIS, who have arrested an unidentified sailor in the 21-year-old's disappearance, said in a statement that they began investigating as soon as the agency learned that she'd been missing. 'NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice,' the statement added. Investigators told NBC News that the investigation is ongoing, and that charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are pending against the suspect. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Navy sailor who vanished from Virginia barracks found dead, another sailor held in her death
A body has been found and confirmed to be that of missing Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz, and another sailor is in pretrial confinement in connection with her death. Resendiz, 21, was last seen the morning of May 29 at her barracks at the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Virginia State Police issued a critically missing person alert for her last week. A body discovered by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on Monday in a wooded area in Norfolk was confirmed to be Resendiz by the local medical examiner on Tuesday. A Navy sailor, who was not identified, has charges pending under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the NCIS said. "NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice," the department said. No further details were released and the investigation is ongoing. The Resendiz family said her disappearance has 'left a void in their hearts' and they 'refuse to let her suffering be in vain,' a spokesperson for the family told NBC affiliate WAVY of Norfolk. 'The family is calling on the assistance of the United States government, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, the Hampton Roads congressional delegation, home congressman Vicente Gonzalez, and President Donald J. Trump to address the systemic issues that allowed her to vanish without justice since May 29, 2025,' the statement said. Resendiz's mother, Emeralda Castle, was not notified that her daughter vanished through official channels, the spokesperson said. "Her daughter'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," the statement said. The family is calling for Congress to investigate Resendiz's death and for reform within the Navy's notification protocol. The NCIS statement said it investigated the case as soon as the agency learned of her disappearance. This article was originally published on
USA Today
11-06-2025
- USA Today
Missing Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz found dead in Virginia
Missing Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz found dead in Virginia Before her disappearance, Angelina Resendiz was last seen on May 29 at 10 a.m. local time at her barracks in Miller Hill at Naval Station Norfolk Show Caption Hide Caption How to report a missing person Here's how to take action when a person goes missing. The body of a missing Navy sailor has been found in Virginia after last being seen nearly two weeks ago, investigators said. Angelina Petra Resendiz, 21, was discovered deceased in a wooded area in Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 10, according to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The Norfolk medical examiner confirmed the body found in the woods belonged to the missing seaman on Wednesday, June 11, the government agency said. An unidentified Navy sailor is in pretrial confinement in connection with Resendiz's death, according to the NCIS. Charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are pending, the agency added. This set of rules dictates how the military investigates, prosecutes and punishes personnel for a range of crimes, and 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. "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." Resendiz's mother, Esmerelda Castle, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY: "The family of Seaman Angelina Resendiz remains unwavering in their pursuit of justice, especially after the heartbreaking confirmation that these remains are hers, which only strengthens their resolve to hold those responsible accountable." Missing: Body found as officials search for student who went missing after Virginia car crash What happened to Angelina Resendiz? Resendiz was last seen on May 29 at 10 a.m. local time at her barracks in Miller Hill at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia State Police said. The police issued a "critically missing adult alert" on behalf of the NCIS for Resendiz on Tuesday, June 3. The seaman was last seen wearing an unknown description of clothing with "no known vehicle," according to police. Resendiz, a Texas native, is a culinary specialist assigned to the USS James E. Williams in Norfolk, the Navy said, per ABC News and WTKR. According to Castle's statement, her daughter was "a kind and compassionate young woman who brought light into our lives." The mother added that Resendiz's disappearance has "left a void in their hearts," and she and her family "refuse to let her suffering be in vain." 'They showed little compassion or understanding': Family criticizes Navy's response A GoFundMe created to help Resendiz's mother, Esmeralda Castle, search for her daughter has raised over $10,000 in donations as of June 11. The GoFundMe page criticizes the Navy, calling its efforts in the search for Resendiz "quiet and ambiguous." "With all of the technology at the Navy's disposal, there is no reason for a sailor to go missing or stay missing," the fundraiser page reads. "The Naval base is in a wooded area, and NCIS has refused to tell Angie's mother anything about the search. Angie's mother hopes to search these woods surrounding the base and hopes to have a protest calling for reform of the US Military's treatment of missing women cases." Castle and the rest of the deceased sailor's family are calling on the assistance of the U.S. government, local senators and congressmen, as well as President Donald Trump, to "address the systemic issues that allowed (Resendiz) to vanish without justice since May 29, 2025," the mother's statement reads. Resendiz's mother said her daughter'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," according to the statement. "This callousness led to her daughter's death, which cannot be tolerated." "The family demands accountability for oversight that put her life at risk and for mishandling that delayed justice, emphasizing the urgent need to address how official channels failed to notify them promptly and properly, relying instead on unofficial sources like the media, which underscores deep systemic failures," the statement reads. "Their determination is relentless—for Angelina, for all women, and for every family suffering in silence. Justice must be served." Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
