John Jefferson
Florida authorities believe they have discovered the body of 21-year-old jogger Arielle Valdes after a five-day search for the missing woman.
Valdes, who was training for a marathon, according to the Fort-Myers News Press, was last seen leaving her home on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to go on a run on the 90th block of Mariana Avenue around 6:30 p.m. in North Fort Myers, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.
A Department of Transportation camera captured video of the woman running south on U.S. Route 41 about 15 minutes later, the department said. Another camera captured her running south toward the Edison Bridge just after 6:50 p.m.
A search by the sheriff’s office and civilians included marine vessels, aviation tools, drone and rapid DNA testing, People reported.
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A body presumed to be Valdes’ was discovered by search crews along the Caloosahatchee River in North Fort Myers on Monday, Sept. 2.
Preliminary findings do not indicate foul play, the LCSO said. The department could not be reached at press time for further details on Valdes’ cause of death.
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A social media post shared by Valdes’ family during the search said that she had “been having panic attacks as of very recently and has not been speaking much the last week.”
Valdes’ mother told police that she “had been acting strange for the last couple days” and mentioned that “she was hearing demon voices in her head,” according to a police report obtained by the New York Post.
Isabella Hergert, Valdes’ sister, paid tribute in several social media posts.
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“Ari you were too good for this world. I love you and I will see you again in every lifetime. You are a piece of my soul that I will always look for,” she wrote.
“My sister was a real life angel,” Hergert wrote in another post. “I know this is all for a greater purpose.”
On the “Finding Arielle Valdes” Facebook group, members of the community were thanked for their search efforts.
“The efforts we made together were widespread and unforgettable, showing just how powerful we can be when we unite for a common cause,” the post read. “In the face of this tragedy, we’ve proven that we are more than just neighbors – we are a true community, bound by our care and commitment to one another.”
Originally, a GoFundMe was organized to raise a reward for “the person who provides information to the family or police that leads directly to finding Arielle.” Now, organizer Joseph Sowels wrote in the fundraiser’s description, those funds will go directly to Hergert.
On Thursday, a memorial run in Valdes’ memory was held in Lee County, Wink News reported.
“I feel an overwhelming amount of love right now from the community, and I just want to say thank you to everyone that is here and organized this,” Hergert said at the event, the outlet reported.
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