Florida officials believe they found the body of Sylvia Pagan, a mother who went missing earlier this week under unusual circumstances.
Sylvia Pagan, 34, was listed as a possible companion of 9-year-old Briana Pagan on an Amber Alert issued around 1 a.m. Monday.
Jovanni Caceres Steffani, 38, was listed as the suspected abductor on the alert. He later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Suwannee County hotel at 2 a.m. on Monday.
Briana Pagan was located safely at the hotel and taken into the care of deputies. She was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Sylvia Pagan was not found when officials found Briana Pagan and confronted Steffani at the hotel.
The Amber Alert was lifted about an hour and a half after it was issued. Officials then issued a Missing and Endangered Alert for Sylvia Pagan.
The Tampa Police Department told Newsweek their agency and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office located a body they believe to be Sylvia Pagan on Wednesday.
Officials told Newsweek the body was found in the Wimauma area in Hillsborough County. This is nearly three hours south of Suwannee County, where Briana Pagan and Steffani were located.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the body and determine cause of death.
Steffani was the only suspect in Sylvia Pagan’s disappearance, officials said. Police told WTSP their investigation indicated that Sylvia Pagan and Steffani spent the night together at her house and left at around 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Officials who searched Sylvia Pagan’s house did not find any evidence of injury or domestic violence.
Steffani grabbed a gun from the hotel room’s bathroom and fatally shot himself when authorities confronted him.
The Missing and Endangered Alert was canceled after the body was found.
“This is not the outcome anyone wanted,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “We send our condolences to Syliva’s loved ones, but most importantly her daughter Briana during this unimaginable loss.”
Officials are still investigating Sylvia Pagan’s death.
What is an Amber Alert?
This is a case where the Amber Alert was successful in finding the missing child.
Amber Alerts are issued for children under 18. Law enforcement must believe that a kidnapping occurred, and law enforcement must believe the child is in imminent danger of death or serious injury. Officials also must recommend activation of the alert and there must be a detailed description of the child, the abductor or the abductor’s vehicle.
Over 1,200 children have been located through Amber Alerts and 180 children were rescued because of wireless emergency alerts as of 2023.
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