New York police on Tuesday announced that they have recovered the remains of a 16-year-old girl who went missing in August.
On Oct. 14, a group of people fishing along a canal in Rochester located the body of missing Jakarah Lopez-Moore in a wooded area behind 5 Vanguard Parkway and alerted police. The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office identified the remains as Lopez-Moore and determined her cause of death to be homicide, Rochester police announced Tuesday.
"Jakarah was reported missing to us by her family on the 29th of August of this year," Rochester PD Captain Frank Umbrino said during a press conference. "At this time, it was reported to us that she had left her apartment on Weld Street at about 1:45 a.m. on the 27th and never returned."
Lopez-Moore's family has told local news outlet the Democrat and Chronicle that she was seen getting into a silver car with tinted windows when she left her apartment on Aug. 27, but police are not confirming that information at this time. Umbrino called the department's murder investigation "very active" and emphasized the necessity of keeping certain information under wraps.
DOZENS OF KIDS VANISH IN CLEVELAND AREA AS POLICE PROBE ALARMING TREND
Umbrino described the area where Lopez-Moore was found as a wooded area that borders the nearby canal. The area is surrounded by a recycling plant, other industrial buildings and railroad tracks, he said.
"Quite frankly, we're rather lucky that we found her when we did," the police captain said, adding that her body had been there for "at least over a month" and had to be scientifically identified.
Lopez-Moore's family told the Chronicle at the time of her disappearance that it was unusual of the 16-year-old to leave without contacting any of her siblings. It was also unusual for her to be so inactive on social media, indicating to them that something was wrong.
The Rochester Police Department also debunked rumors of ransom text messages with help from the FBI, Umbrino said, adding that "idiots out there" were trying to take advantage of the missing persons case.
The police chief said Rochester currently has 63 open missing juvenile cases, so determining which ones to alert to the public is a "delicate balancing act."
Authorities are pleading with anyone who knew Lopez-Moore or has information about her disappearance to contact the Rochester PD Major Crimes Unit at 428-7157 or Crime Stoppers at 423-9300. Tipsters can also send information to MajorCrimes@cityofrochester.gov.
"Somebody knows something, and that person has to find it inside themselves to call us. Put everything aside, call us and give us the information we need," Umbrino said.
