Death of Apache teen Emily Pike creating resurgence in missing Indigenous people movement
Emily Pike knew life was precious. When her cat died, she was devastated and always asked her aunties for another one, her uncle Allred Pike Jr. said Saturday during a vigil to remember the teen.
"Emily, her story is going to live on," Pike said. "Her life might have been cut short, but her name is being mentioned all over."
A 14-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Emily was found dead on Valentine's Day in the woods outside of Globe after being reported missing from Mesa in late January.
Hundreds of people from across Arizona converged Saturday evening on the San Carlos Apache Reservation for a candlelight vigil honoring Emily, who was often described as sweet and soft-spoken. The death of the Indigenous teen has united communities across Arizona and the nation, ensuring her name will not be forgotten as vigils and protests continue one month after authorities first found Emily's body.
No suspects or persons of interest were identified in her death as of Thursday, the Gila County Sheriff's Office said. The San Carlos Apache Tribe passed a resolution offering up to $75,000 for information leading to an arrest in Emily's case.
On the reservation, hundreds of red handprints dotted a water tank in Periodot, the finishing touches of a mural immortalizing the teen girl. Emily's mother, Steff Dosela, placed the first handprint, said Myron Starr, one of the artists.
Painting the mural "woke up a spirit inside me that needed to wake up," said Starr, who is San Carlos Apache.
The tank was located 15 minutes east of where the candlelight vigil was held.
A group of 30 or so family, friends and strangers linked arms and danced to the beat of a drum as an old Apache song resonated through the chilly night, the adornment on their clothing and shoes tinkling with the movement of their feet.
They were hundreds who gathered in the parking lot of the Apache Gold Casino Resort on the San Carlos Apache Reservation to celebrate Emily's life and support her family. Some remained in their cars to stay out of the cold as the sun set.
Speakers were met with a chorus of cheers and car horns. Many shared that they related to Emily's family, saying they had relatives who went missing but were never found.
More: Indigenous community rallies around slain San Carlos Apache teen Emily Pike
Emily's brutal death has led to a resurgence of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People movement, one that hopes to keep the spotlight on Emily and the pressure on authorities to find an answer.
"It's been a long month for us, (but) we will be loud and continue to be that voice for (Emily)," said Alyssa Dosela, Emily's cousin. She said the family was frustrated by the lack of answers from the Gila County Sheriff's Office but urged patience as the investigation continued.
Many attendees painted a red handprint over their mouths, symbolizing the movement which sheds a light on the violence disproportionately affecting Indigenous people. Arizona reported the third highest number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls among states in the U.S., according to data analyzed by the Urban Indian Health Institute in 2018.
Emily's death has also ignited an outcry on social media, with many using hashtags like #JusticeforEmilyPike, #NoMoreMMIW and #SayHerName, to bring more visibility to her case and missing and murdered Indigenous people.
As the evening grew dark, flickering candles and bright phone flashlights illuminated the parking lot. The crowd chanted calls for justice. Pike, Emily's uncle, ended his speech at the vigil with a call and response, his energy and emotions infecting the crowd.
"Say her name," he yelled into the microphone, his voice raw.
"Emily Pike!" the crowd shouted back.
Emily was last seen on foot near her group home near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road in Mesa on Jan. 27. Officials said she had run away from the home when she left, with no Amber Alert being broadcasted. Mesa police said there was no indication of an abduction or that she disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
Seventeen days later, Emily's remains were found in garbage bags by someone walking in the woods northeast of Globe, the Gila County Sheriff's Office said. Police told the family that Emily's torso and head were found in one bag and her legs in another, said Gail Pechuli, a long-time friend of Emily's family who is San Carlos Apache. Her arms and hands haven't been found, Pechuli said.
An internal memo posted on Facebook by the Gila County Sheriff's Office leaked information about the condition of Emily's body when it was found. A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office said the information was not officially released and declined to comment.
Detectives are "vigorously" following leads, a spokesperson for the Gila County Sheriff's Office said, despite no suspects or persons of interest being publicly identified. The family is hopeful the reward offered by the tribe will help in locating the suspect or suspects.
Officials have not provided an estimate of how long Emily was dead at the time of her discovery. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation by the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office, which investigates deaths in Gila County.
Two federal agencies, the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs, officially joined the investigation on March 5, nearly three weeks after officials found Emily's body. Spokespeople for the FBI and the Gila County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the involvement of the federal bureaus. The Sheriff's Office remained the lead agency.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact a Gila County Sheriff's Office detective at 928-200-2352, a Bureau of Indian Affairs special agent at 505-917-7830 or a San Carlos Apache tribal police detective at 928-475-1755.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Emily Pike family, community call for justice of slain teen at vigil
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Utah Supreme Court declines to consider appeal in Kouri Richins' murder case
Prosecutors asked a judge to lift a stay and schedule a jury trial in Kouri Richins' Summit County murder case after the Utah Supreme Court declined Richins' request to review a decision — a request that led to the delay of her April trial. The Utah Supreme Court issued its decision Friday after reviewing Richins' request for an appeal of Judge Richard Mrazik's decision to keep her jury in Summit County rather than move it to Salt Lake County and prosecutors' response. In the short document, it cited rule 5 of Utah's appellate court procedure which says it should only grant an interlocutory appeal, or an appeal of a decision that is not the final outcome of the case, if the order being appealed involves 'substantial rights' and may have a large impact on the final decision in a case. Richins, a Kamas mother and real estate agent, is charged with fatally poisoning her husband. She was arrested a year after his death, and in that year published a children's book featuring their children dealing with grief. Deputy Summit County attorney Margaret Olsen filed a request to set a hearing where a new trial can be scheduled along with other case deadlines later on Friday. Richins' attorneys had not yet responded on Tuesday. Mrazik denied the request to move the trial to Salt Lake County weeks before it was scheduled to start in Summit County, but granted the request to delay the trial while Richins' attorneys filed the appeal. He reviewed motions and heard arguments about multiple community surveys and media coverage when considering whether Richins could have a fair trial with a Summit County jury. Ultimately, he determined a fair jury could be found in Summit County. He said much of the media attention was from Salt Lake County outlets, both Kouri Richins and her husband grew up outside of Summit County and the population of Summit County is not homogenous. Richins, 35, is charged with murder in the March 2022 death of her husband, Eric Richins, who was 39. She was later charged with attempting to murder him weeks earlier on Valentine's Day. She was ordered to stand trial on the charges of aggravated murder and attempted murder, both first-degree felonies; two counts of distributing a controlled substance, two counts of insurance fraud and two counts of filing a fraudulent insurance claim, all second-degree felonies; and three counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Richins will face a separate trial for two counts of mortgage fraud, a second-degree felony, and two additional counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. This story may be updated.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
At a troubled fashion company, workers found community. Then ICE came
Saraí Ortiz's father Jose worked 18 years for Ambiance Apparel, rising to become a floor manager at the sprawling fast-fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. His tenure ended Friday, when federal authorities raided the company, arresting Jose Ortiz and more than 40 other immigrant workers as Saraí watched. "You know this is a possibility all your life, but then when it happens, it plays out differently than what you think," she said Monday, standing in front of the wrought iron fencing of Ambiance's parking lot. Ambiance was one of four businesses raided by ICE on Friday, igniting a weekend of civil unrest that has led to the controversial deployment of the National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles. It was also the site of the arrest of labor leader David Huerta, who was released Monday on a $50,000 bond. Ortiz was joined at a protest Monday by other families of those detained, making a public plea for help and due process. Many of the wives and children of those taken by ICE — all men — have had little or no contact with their loved ones. Even lawyers have been denied access, they said. Read more: Union leader David Huerta released from custody Many are also from the Indigenous communities in the central Mexican region of Zacatecas. They have formed tight bonds as they started new lives in Los Angeles, including helping others to find jobs at Ambiance, a company that has a history of run-ins with federal law enforcement, but also one that provided steady work for immigrants, including Ortiz. "Ambiance complies with the law when it hires employees and it has always only hired people it believes have the legal right to work in the United States," said Benjamin Gluck, a lawyer representing Ambiance. "We have reached out to the government to try to learn more about this raid but have not yet learned anything more about it. Ambiance will continue to both follow the law and support its employees, many of whom have been with us for decades." Although it's unclear why Ambiance Apparel was targeted in the recent operation, the company landed on the radar of federal authorities more than a decade ago. In 2014, law enforcement authorities executed dozens of search warrants as part of an investigation into money laundering and other crimes at Fashion District businesses. Federal authorities seized nearly $36 million in cash from Ambiance and the company's owner, Sang Bum 'Ed' Noh, according to a 2020 news release from the U.S. attorney's office in L.A. The company, which was incorporated in 1999, was described by prosecutors as an importer and exporter of textiles and garments from China, Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere. Among its customers were retail apparel chains and people who owned small businesses, mostly in Mexico. Its goods can also be found on Amazon, and in Walmart. Federal prosecutors filed charges against Ambiance Apparel and Noh in 2020, accusing them of undervaluing imported garments and avoiding paying millions of dollars in tariffs to the U.S. Among those investigating Ambiance and Noh were Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as local law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles and Long Beach police departments. The company was also accused of failing to report cash payments to employees. The government contended that Ambiance employees received "approximately 364 payments of more than $10,000 over a two-year period," totaling more than $11 million. But the company failed to file the required reports on those cash transactions to the federal government, prosecutors said. That same year, Noh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Ambiance Apparel — the operating name for two corporations, Ambiance U.S.A. Inc. and Apparel Line U.S.A., Inc. — pleaded guilty to eight counts, including conspiracy, money laundering and customs offenses. In 2021, Noh was sentenced to a year in prison 'for scheming to undervalue imported garments and avoid paying millions of dollars in duties to the United States, failing to report millions of dollars in income on tax returns, and failing to report large cash transactions to the federal government,' prosecutors said in a news release. Noh 'made defrauding the United States a significant revenue stream for Ambiance, appropriating approximately $35,227,855.45 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Internal Revenue Service in less than four years,' prosecutors said in a sentencing memo. "While [Noh] was cheating the United States and facilitating money laundering, he enjoyed a house in Bel Air, bought luxury cars, and squirreled away bundles of cash worth $35 million in shoeboxes and garbage bags," prosecutors wrote. The company was sentenced to five years' probation and was ordered to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance and ethics program with an outside compliance monitor. That monitorship was set to end in October of this year. Despite those troubles, the company, and its employees, seemingly continued to thrive. Montserrat Arrazola's father, Jorge, is another of those workers detained Friday. She said her father is the family's "breadwinner," and without his paycheck, there are "hard times coming" for her and her three brothers. Read more: No, Dr. Phil wasn't present at L.A. ICE raids, but he taped interview with Trump's border advisor But it's the pain of separation that hurts her the most. Her family was able to speak to Jorge once, and he told them to stay calm. So Montserrat, a college student who wants to become a social worker, is trying. She talked instead about their recent family outing, when they all tried bowling, and how her dad is charismatic and caring. "He's a family man and he gives all his time to his family," she said. But not being able to contact those detained is stressful, said Carlos Gonzalez. His older brother Jose was also taken by ICE and like others at the protest, Gonzalez called for due process rights. Gonzalez and his brother had gone camping at Sandy Flat in Sequoia National Forest just the weekend before the raid, a rare chance for them to spend time together. Carlos said he received a call from a cousin Friday, and went to Ambiance, but couldn't reach his brother in the chaos. So Gonzalez went to the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown, but was told there were too many people to process, and was unable to get further information. He went back the next morning to try to bring his brother a sweater, because "you don't know if it's cold in there," he said. But he was told his brother had been moved to Santa Ana. That is the last he has heard. His family is caring for Jose's dog Coffee, a 100-plus pound chocolate lab and pit bull mix who cries when Jose isn't near, and working with a lawyer. But there is not much else they can do except wait, and speak out. "I want people to know that this was inhumane," Gonzalez said. "They were just working." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
15 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
At a troubled fashion company, workers found community. Then ICE came
Saraí Ortiz's father Jose worked 18 years for Ambiance Apparel, rising to become a floor manager at the sprawling fast-fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. His tenure ended Friday, when federal authorities raided the company, arresting Jose Ortiz and more than 40 other immigrant workers as Saraí watched. 'You know this is a possibility all your life, but then when it happens, it plays out differently than what you think,' she said Monday, standing in front of the wrought iron fencing of Ambiance's parking lot. Ambiance was one of four businesses raided by ICE on Friday, igniting a weekend of civil unrest that has led to the controversial deployment of the National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles. It was also the site of the arrest of labor leader David Huerta, who was released Monday on a $50,000 bond. Ortiz was joined at a protest Monday by other families of those detained, making a public plea for help and due process. Many of the wives and children of those taken by ICE — all men — have had little or no contact with their loved ones. Even lawyers have been denied access, they said. Many are also from the Indigenous communities in the central Mexican region of Zacatecas. They have formed tight bonds as they started new lives in Los Angeles, including helping others to find jobs at Ambiance, a company that has a history of run-ins with federal law enforcement, but also one that provided steady work for immigrants, including Ortiz. 'Ambiance complies with the law when it hires employees and it has always only hired people it believes have the legal right to work in the United States,' said Benjamin Gluck, a lawyer representing Ambiance. 'We have reached out to the government to try to learn more about this raid but have not yet learned anything more about it. Ambiance will continue to both follow the law and support its employees, many of whom have been with us for decades.' Although it's unclear why Ambiance Apparel was targeted in the recent operation, the company landed on the radar of federal authorities more than a decade ago. In 2014, law enforcement authorities executed dozens of search warrants as part of an investigation into money laundering and other crimes at Fashion District businesses. Federal authorities seized nearly $36 million in cash from Ambiance and the company's owner, Sang Bum 'Ed' Noh, according to a 2020 news release from the U.S. attorney's office in L.A. The company, which was incorporated in 1999, was described by prosecutors as an importer and exporter of textiles and garments from China, Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere. Among its customers were retail apparel chains and people who owned small businesses, mostly in Mexico. Its goods can also be found on Amazon, and in Walmart. Federal prosecutors filed charges against Ambiance Apparel and Noh in 2020, accusing them of undervaluing imported garments and avoiding paying millions of dollars in tariffs to the U.S. Among those investigating Ambiance and Noh were Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as local law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles and Long Beach police departments. The company was also accused of failing to report cash payments to employees. The government contended that Ambiance employees received 'approximately 364 payments of more than $10,000 over a two-year period,' totaling more than $11 million. But the company failed to file the required reports on those cash transactions to the federal government, prosecutors said. That same year, Noh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Ambiance Apparel — the operating name for two corporations, Ambiance U.S.A. Inc. and Apparel Line U.S.A., Inc. — pleaded guilty to eight counts, including conspiracy, money laundering and customs offenses. In 2021, Noh was sentenced to a year in prison 'for scheming to undervalue imported garments and avoid paying millions of dollars in duties to the United States, failing to report millions of dollars in income on tax returns, and failing to report large cash transactions to the federal government,' prosecutors said in a news release. Noh 'made defrauding the United States a significant revenue stream for Ambiance, appropriating approximately $35,227,855.45 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Internal Revenue Service in less than four years,' prosecutors said in a sentencing memo. 'While [Noh] was cheating the United States and facilitating money laundering, he enjoyed a house in Bel Air, bought luxury cars, and squirreled away bundles of cash worth $35 million in shoeboxes and garbage bags,' prosecutors wrote. The company was sentenced to five years' probation and was ordered to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance and ethics program with an outside compliance monitor. That monitorship was set to end in October of this year. Despite those troubles, the company, and its employees, seemingly continued to thrive. Montserrat Arrazola's father, Jorge, is another of those workers detained Friday. She said her father is the family's 'breadwinner,' and without his paycheck, there are 'hard times coming' for her and her three brothers. But it's the pain of separation that hurts her the most. Her family was able to speak to Jorge once, and he told them to stay calm. So Montserrat, a college student who wants to become a social worker, is trying. She talked instead about their recent family outing, when they all tried bowling, and how her dad is charismatic and caring. 'He's a family man and he gives all his time to his family,' she said. But not being able to contact those detained is stressful, said Carlos Gonzalez. His older brother Jose was also taken by ICE and like others at the protest, Gonzalez called for due process rights. Gonzalez and his brother had gone camping at Sandy Flat in Sequoia National Forest just the weekend before the raid, a rare chance for them to spend time together. Carlos said he received a call from a cousin Friday, and went to Ambiance, but couldn't reach his brother in the chaos. So Gonzalez went to the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown, but was told there were too many people to process, and was unable to get further information. He went back the next morning to try to bring his brother a sweater, because 'you don't know if it's cold in there,' he said. But he was told his brother had been moved to Santa Ana. That is the last he has heard. His family is caring for Jose's dog Coffee, a 100-plus pound chocolate lab and pit bull mix who cries when Jose isn't near, and working with a lawyer. But there is not much else they can do except wait, and speak out. 'I want people to know that this was inhumane,' Gonzalez said. 'They were just working.'
