Current:Home > MarketsBody of missing Tampa mom, reportedly abducted alongside daughter, believed to be found -Quantum Capital Pro
Body of missing Tampa mom, reportedly abducted alongside daughter, believed to be found
View
Date:2025-04-12 22:58:58
Police in Florida say they found a body that they believe belongs to a woman who was reported to have been abducted earlier this week alongside her daughter, according to CBS News affiliate WTSP.
Sylvia Pagan, 34, was last seen in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday morning, WTSP reported. The Tampa Police Department issued a "Missing & Endangered Alert" for Pagan, describing her as a 5'3 woman weighing about 155 pounds.
At 1 a.m. local time on Monday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an Amber Alert for Pagan's 9-year-old daughter, Briana.
Tampa police said in a news release that they believed Briana "may have also been accompanied" by Pagan and Jovanni Caceres Steffani, 38, who Tampa police called a "person of interest."
WTSP reported that investigators believe Steffani and Pagan spent the night together at Pagan's Tampa home before leaving the following morning. Investigators found no evidence anyone had been harmed at the house, WTSP reported, and there was no record of domestic violence calls to the address.
Around 2 a.m. local time, about an hour after the Amber Alert was issued, police say Steffani was found dead with a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" in Suwannee County, which is about 200 miles north of Tampa. Deputies had confronted him at a hotel, WTSP reported.
Briana was found safe at the scene, having been released from the hotel before Steffani's death, WTSP reported.
Pagan remained unaccounted for even after the Amber Alert for Briana was lifted. Police said that they were "deeply concerned for her overall well-being."
Police did not say where they found the body that they believe to be Pagan's, or release any information about the cause of death. A volunteer in the search for Pagan told WTSP that searchers found what is believed to be Pagan's body in a roadside ditch, covered by a blue child's pool. The clothing and shoes on the body matched the description Pagan's family provided, the volunteer told WTSP.
WTSP reported that the medical examiner's office is working to confirm the identity of the remains and determine a cause of death.
"This is not the outcome anyone wanted," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement provided to WTSP. "We send our condolences to Sylvia's loved ones, but most importantly her daughter Briana during this unimaginable loss."
- In:
- Tampa, Florida
- Missing Woman
- Missing Child
- Florida
- Missing Person
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (69)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- U.S. issues travel alert for spring break in Mexico
- Haiti gang wars have claimed more than 530 lives so far this year alone, U.N. says
- Godfather of artificial intelligence weighs in on the past and potential of AI
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Bill Gates and Melinda Gates’ Daughter Jennifer Gives Birth, Welcomes Family’s First Grandchild
- TikToker Taylor Frankie Paul Facing Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Charges After Arrest
- Beirut protest sees tear gas fired at retired officers as economic crisis leaves Lebanese struggling to survive
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Fire that engulfed Notre Dame cathedral exposes long-hidden secret inside Paris landmark
Ranking
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- China's tech giant Baidu unveils Ernie, the Chinese answer to AI chatbot technology like ChatGPT and GPT4
- Brandon Routh Shares His Biggest Piece of Advice for the Next Superman
- How Alexandra Xandra Pohl Is Taking Over TikTok, One Relatable Video at a Time
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Poland to be first NATO country to provide fighter jets to Ukraine
- CNN's Kasie Hunt Gives Birth in Her Bathroom After 13-Minute Sudden Labor
- These Beauty Hacks From the Dancing With the Stars Cast Deserve a Perfect 10
Recommendation
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Trump White House failed to report 117 foreign gifts and some are missing, House Democrats say
Ellen Star Sophia Grace Gives Birth to Her First Baby
Isle of Paradise Flash Deal: Save $25 on Mess-Free Self-Tanning Mousse
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $330 Shoulder Bag for Just $75
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Special Snacks at Paris Fashion Week Will Have You Seeing Double
Why Women Everywhere Trust Jessica Alba's Honest Company