LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) – In a press conference Wednesday, the Lumberton Police Chief and the FBI said they believe they found Hania Aguilar’s body.
“We believe we found Hania, but our work is far from over. We have to find out how she died and who did this to her. We have to bring the person responsible to justice,” said FBI Supervisory Resident Agent Andy de la Rocha.
“We are absolutely devastated. I wish we had a different outcome for Hania’s family, for the community, and for the hundreds of law enforcement officers and searchers who put everything they had into finding her alive,” said Lumberton Police Chief Michael McNeill.
“The Lumberton Police Department and the FBI received notification late this afternoon from the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office that a body found yesterday is believed to be Hania Aguilar,” a press release from the FBI says. “A final confirmation will be done with an official dental record comparison.”
Officials said an autopsy will be performed to find out the manner of death.
The FBI said they do not have a person of interest at this time, and are still looking for who is responsible.
On Tuesday, around 4:45 p.m., authorities found the body where crews were searching for Hania Aguilar. FBI agents and Lumberton Police Department officers found the body in a body of water off Wire Grass Road.
The FBI also said tips coming in lead them to searching the area near Wire Grass Road.
Hania was abducted from her home on November 5th from the Rosewood Mobile Home Park on Elizabethtown Road.
Previously, the FBI asked for any video surveillance that anyone may have from the area near where Hania was last seen. That included Wire Grass Road, where the body was found Tuesday.
On Saturday, FBI agents released photos of the shoes Hania was wearing when she disappeared.
The combined reward for information leading to Hania’s location, or to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible, was increased to $30,000 earlier in the month.
Public Schools of Robeson County’s superintendent, Dr. Shanita Wooten, released a statement on Facebook on Tuesday night, saying:
“On behalf of PSRC district leaders, administrators, staff and students, we extend our sincerest condolences to Hania’s family, friends, and community. This is a difficult time for our entire district and we are mourning this loss and are still processing this terrible tragedy. We are keeping Hania in our thoughts and will continue to pray for her family and each other as the investigation continues.”
The FBI is still asking for the public’s help. If you have any information call the tip line at 910-272-5871
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