An 18-year-old girl in North Carolina was found dead two days after she was reported missing, according to the Concord Police Department.
Yadira Hernandez Castro’s parents told police she left home on Saturday, Jan. 31, to spend time with a friend and was expected back by 8 p.m. Authorities said she was reportedly intoxicated and was last seen leaving her friend’s home on Pine Street NW at about 10:30 p.m. local time.
Castro’s parents spoke with her on the phone around 10:50 p.m., but she never returned home. She was reported missing to police at roughly 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1.
In a press release, the Concord Police Department said investigators immediately began trying to determine her whereabouts by speaking with family, friends, and neighbors and reviewing available video footage.
During the investigation, police obtained video showing Castro walking near Academy Avenue NW and Glenn Street NW in Concord at 12:27 a.m. on Feb. 1.
Based on the video and the last known location of Castro’s cell phone, police requested assistance from the Concord Fire Department’s land search team, along with K9 and infrared drone resources, to search the area around Academy Avenue NW.
The first land search took place from about 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, but she was not located, police said. After investigative efforts continued — including a second land search early Monday, Feb. 2 — officers found a deceased individual matching Castro’s description. Police said the family was notified around 5:30 p.m. after the body was positively identified.
Authorities said the initial investigation indicates “alcohol and extreme cold temperatures contributed to Castro’s death,” and that current evidence does not suggest foul play.
A winter storm had been affecting the area, with at least 12 inches of snow reported in Concord on January 31 and into early Feb. 1, Spectrum News 1 reported.
The case remains under investigation, and the official cause of death will be determined by the state medical examiner.
