Missing Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz found dead in Virginia
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The body of a missing Navy sailor has been found in Virginia after last being seen nearly two weeks ago, investigators said.
Angelina Petra Resendiz, 21, was discovered deceased in a wooded area in Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 10, according to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The Norfolk medical examiner confirmed the body found in the woods belonged to the missing seaman on Wednesday, June 11, the government agency said.
An unidentified Navy sailor is in pretrial confinement in connection with Resendiz's death, according to the NCIS. Charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are pending, the agency added. This set of rules dictates how the military investigates, prosecutes and punishes personnel for a range of crimes, and it applies to active-duty members of the military, the National Guard and Reserve, as well as military academy students, according to the Department of Defense.
"NCIS has worked tirelessly in close coordination with Navy leadership, the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia State Police, Virginia Search and Rescue, and numerous other federal and local law enforcement partners to pursue all leads since learning of Seaman Resendiz' disappearance," the agency said. "NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice."
Resendiz's mother, Esmerelda Castle, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY: "The family of Seaman Angelina Resendiz remains unwavering in their pursuit of justice, especially after the heartbreaking confirmation that these remains are hers, which only strengthens their resolve to hold those responsible accountable."
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What happened to Angelina Resendiz?
Resendiz was last seen on May 29 at 10 a.m. local time at her barracks in Miller Hill at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia State Police said. The police issued a "critically missing adult alert" on behalf of the NCIS for Resendiz on Tuesday, June 3.
The seaman was last seen wearing an unknown description of clothing with "no known vehicle," according to police.
Resendiz, a Texas native, is a culinary specialist assigned to the USS James E. Williams in Norfolk, the Navy said, per ABC News and WTKR.
According to Castle's statement, her daughter was "a kind and compassionate young woman who brought light into our lives." The mother added that Resendiz's disappearance has "left a void in their hearts," and she and her family "refuse to let her suffering be in vain."
'They showed little compassion or understanding': Family criticizes Navy's response
A GoFundMe created to help Resendiz's mother, Esmeralda Castle, search for her daughter has raised over $10,000 in donations as of June 11.
The GoFundMe page criticizes the Navy, calling its efforts in the search for Resendiz "quiet and ambiguous."
"With all of the technology at the Navy's disposal, there is no reason for a sailor to go missing or stay missing," the fundraiser page reads. "The Naval base is in a wooded area, and NCIS has refused to tell Angie's mother anything about the search. Angie's mother hopes to search these woods surrounding the base and hopes to have a protest calling for reform of the US Military's treatment of missing women cases."
Castle and the rest of the deceased sailor's family are calling on the assistance of the U.S. government, local senators and congressmen, as well as President Donald Trump, to "address the systemic issues that allowed (Resendiz) to vanish without justice since May 29, 2025," the mother's statement reads.
Resendiz's mother said her daughter's "colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal, and after her friends filed a missing person's report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding," according to the statement. "This callousness led to her daughter's death, which cannot be tolerated."
"The family demands accountability for oversight that put her life at risk and for mishandling that delayed justice, emphasizing the urgent need to address how official channels failed to notify them promptly and properly, relying instead on unofficial sources like the media, which underscores deep systemic failures," the statement reads. "Their determination is relentless—for Angelina, for all women, and for every family suffering in silence. Justice must be served."
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.
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