Renezmae Calzada missing New Mexico 5 year old girl mystery death. Espanola child’s body found in river as authorities have yet to reveal nature of death or suspects.
A 5-year-old girl who went missing in New Mexico over the weekend has been found dead three days following her disappearance.
Renezmae Calzada, of Espanola, was discovered Wednesday in the Rio Grande river near Santa Clara Pueblo, The Rio Grande Sun reported.
The 5 year old girl had last been seen playing in the front yard of her stepfather Malcolm Torres’ home Sunday morning while her mom was at work, KRQE reported. Her mom, Victoria Maestas, called 911 and alerted police that she was missing about nine hours later.
‘This was supposed to be a news conference for an update but it’s… a bit of bad news,’ Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan said during a Wednesday press conference. ‘Renezmae has been located, her remains have been located.’
The nature and details of Renezmae’s death were not revealed
Lujan and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Langenberg declined answering questions about possible suspects or other details.
Torres was arrested Sunday night on warrants related to his DWI cases, and was being questioned by authorities in connection to his stepdaughter’s disappearance. KOAT has since reported officials saying the man’s arrest was not connected to the case.
Investigators revealed having interviewed between 175 to 200 people in the missing girl’s case.
A community grieves in vigil:
Investigators have not declared the case a homicide — it is being considered a suspicious death pending the results of an autopsy, the outlet reported.
‘We will not stop until we can identify the responsible party for Renezmae,’ Langenberg told reporters.
Calzada attended kindergarten at Fairview Elementary School in Espanola and didn’t show up the week before she disappeared, the Sun reported. A parent who volunteered at the school notified police about her absence, according to the report.
School principal Wilmer Chavarria said that Calzada’s teacher had called to speak with her mother on Sept. 5 after the girl had missed more than three days of school. Chevarria declined to detail the conversation, but noted that it was not unusual for students to be absent for multiple days at the start of the year.
Anyone with tips on the case may call the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s regional dispatch at 505-753-5555.
