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Missing Maryland Teen’s Remains Found In Woods, No Arrests Made
“For those of you who knew Rosa, we ask that you remember and celebrate her life,” Eleanor Roosevelt High School said in a statement after 17-year-old Rosa Diaz-Santos’ skeletal remains were found on Nov. 15.
Police are looking into the death of a Maryland teenager whose skeletal remains recently turned up in a wooded area near Washington, D.C.
Rosa Diaz-Santos, 17, vanished on Sept. 22 after she was last seen leaving a park on her way to school at about 7:40 a.m., the Prince George County Police Department said.
Her remains were found in a wooded area in Takoma Park near the 1600 Block of Drexel Street on Nov. 15 at around 12:30 p.m. A medical examiner later confirmed the 17-year-old’s identity and ruled her death a homicide. It’s unclear how the Maryland teen may have died — or how her remains got to the location.
The area where the skeletal remains were recovered is approximately 10 miles southwest of Greenbelt and is just north of the capital.
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No arrests have been made yet. Authorities, who also haven’t speculated on a potential motive in the Greenbelt teen’s killing, are now scrambling to identify any persons of interest or suspects in the case.
No further information was available from officials on Friday afternoon. Oxygen.com has reached out to the Greenbelt Police Department and the Prince George County Police Department for further comment.
Diaz-Santos' parents told NBC Washington that the teenager had recently become involved with a local gang and had been spending multiple days away from the family home. Her mother said that Rosa purportedly warned her about her death.
"'I’m so sorry mommy. Forgive me for making you suffer, for everything I’ve done to you.' Why? What’s wrong? 'No, mommy. Don’t cry when you find me dead somewhere. Don’t cry,'" Diaz-Santos' mother recalled of the conversation.
Diaz-Santos was a ninth grade student at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. School officials sent a letter to families on Monday acknowledging the tragic development regarding the 17-year-old.
“For those of you who knew Rosa, we ask that you remember and celebrate her life,” the letter stated, FOX5 DC reported. “For those of you who did not know Rosa, we ask that you respect our sadness and support us with your understanding. It is very difficult for all of us to face the death of a young person.”
Elanor Roosevelt High School noted that a team of school psychologists and counselors are available to its students in the wake of Diaz-Santos' death.
Police are urging the public to come forward with any tips. Anyone with additional information related to Diaz-Santos’ disappearance is urged to contact homicide detectives at the Prince George County Police Department by calling 301-516-2512. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling the Crime Solvers tip line at 1-866-411-8477.
