NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A body found in Norfolk, Virginia, has been identified as missing Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz, and another sailor is in pretrial confinement, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed Tuesday.
NCIS said charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are pending, adding that it will not release further information while the investigation is ongoing.
Resendiz was first reported missing on May 29 and was last seen in her barracks at Naval Station Norfolk around 10 a.m., according to the Navy.
In a statement released by the Resendiz family, the confirmation of the remains belonging to Angelina Resendiz has only strengthened their resolve to hold those responsible for her death accountable.
“Her disappearance has left a void in their hearts, and they refuse to let her suffering be in vain. The family is calling on the assistance of the United States government, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, the Hampton Roads congressional delegation, home congressman Vicente Gonzalez, and President Donald J. Trump to address the systemic issues that allowed her to vanish without justice since May 29, 2025.”
Statement issued by spokesperson for Resendiz family
The statement further explains that there was an alleged oversight that put Resendiz’s life at risk, “emphasizing the urgent need to address how official channels failed to notify them promptly and properly, relying instead on unofficial sources like the media, which underscores deep systemic failures.”
Resendiz’s mother, Emeralda Castle, told Nexstar’s WAVY on Saturday that she knew something was wrong when her daughter stopped reaching out to family members.
“She talks to somebody every day,” Castle said. “Her and my sister have a 400-day streak on Snapchat, and it all stopped on Thursday. She doesn’t miss work.”
The statement explains that Castle was horrified at realizing she was not notified of her daughter’s disappearance through official channels, but instead by Resendiz’s fellow sailors and the media.
“Her daughter’s colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal, and after her friends filed a missing person’s report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding,” it said.
Castle told WAVY on Thursday that no one was even looking for Resendiz.
“I called the ship and spoke with the officer on deck. He told me that they found Angie in another room,” she said.
Castle is calling on Congress to investigate her daughter’s death, as they have “the power to ‘raise and support armies’ and to ‘provide and maintain a Navy.’”
“If the Navy cannot notify families properly and instead relies on unofficial sources, treating such incidents as inconveniences rather than emergencies, then Congress must investigate what has gone wrong,” said the family’s statement. “The Navy’s failures threaten all families and the integrity of our military system, and Congress must reform these processes to prevent future tragedies, for the safety of all families, and for the integrity of our nation.”
Castle said she has an idea of who killed her daughter, as Resendiz was with someone the day she was reported missing.
“Monday the person she was with that night, that Thursday night, had not shown up to work, and he showed up to work on Monday and she did not show up for work.”
An NCIS spokesperson said in a statement that the law enforcement agency has been working the case of Resendiz’s disappearance since they were made aware.
“NCIS has worked tirelessly in close coordination with Navy leadership, the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia State Police, Virginia Search and Rescue, and numerous other federal and local law enforcement partners to pursue all leads since learning of Seaman Resendiz’ disappearance,” the agency said. “NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice.”
A GoFundMe was created over the weekend to support the family in Resendiz’s search efforts.
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