Body Found in Wooded Area amid Search for Navy Sailor Who Disappeared from Barracks
The body was found during the search for 21-year-old Angelina Petra Resendiz, who was reported missing on Thursday, May 29
An NCIS spokesperson said the Norfolk Medical Examiner's Office is "conducting an autopsy and working to positively identify the victim" as the family speaks outA family is speaking out after a body has been found in the search for a missing Navy sailor in Virginia.
On Monday, June 9, a body was 'found in an off-base wooded area in Norfolk,' the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) confirmed to PEOPLE. The body was located in the Broad Creek area of the city, according to NBC affiliate WAVY-TV and CBS affiliate WTKR.
The discovery comes as authorities search for 21-year-old Angelina Petra Resendiz, who was last seen 'at her barracks in Miller Hall at Naval Station Norfolk' on Thursday, May 29, the Virginia State Police previously announced.
The Norfolk Medical Examiner's Office is now 'conducting an autopsy and working to positively identify the victim,' a spokesperson for NCIS tells PEOPLE.
In a statement shared with WTKR and posted to Instagram by KMK Productions on Monday, the Resendiz family said they 'are awaiting the results of DNA testing to determine whether recently discovered remains are those of Angelina.'
'The family of Seaman Angelina Resendiz is heartbroken and deeply concerned over her sudden and unexplained disappearance,' they continued. 'Angelina is a loving, compassionate, and devoted individual who has always prioritized the well-being of her family and those around her.
The Resendiz family said Angelina's disappearance 'has caused immense grief for all who know and love her,' adding, 'We remain prayerful and hopeful for clarity and resolution.'
'We urge anyone with information about Angelina's whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance to come forward,' they said. 'Your help could be crucial in bringing her home and providing answers.'
They also thanked law enforcement and investigators for their 'ongoing efforts,' as well as 'everyone who has offered support, shared prayers, and stood with us in the search for Angelina.'
KMK Productions did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Angelina 'was working on the USS James E. Williams at the time of her disappearance,' according to a GoFundMe campaign started to support her mother, Esmerelda Castle, in her search for her daughter.
Castle said friends told her Angelina was with another sailor around the time she disappeared, NBC affiliate KCEN-TV reported.
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She previously told ABC affiliate WVEC that her daughter was regularly in contact with friends and family before her disappearance, but suddenly stopped responding on May 29. She also said that her daughter had 'spent no money' and 'made no calls' since she disappeared.
While speaking to WTKR, Castle said that a fan at her daughter's barrack's 'was still on' and other personal items, like food and a yoga mat, were 'untouched.'
"I love her. And she doesn't deserve to just be a missing person,' Castle said, per KCEN-TV. She added, 'Angie belongs to everyone. These kids, these mothers, these sons, these daughters, they're all of ours."
'No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed at this time,' the NCIS spokesperson tells PEOPLE.
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