Woman Vanished From Navy Base, Then Was Found Dead. Family Says Military 'Showed Little Compassion'

The family of Angelina Petra Resendiz, a Navy sailor who was found dead in Virginia this week, says they were not told about her disappearance — and want someone to take accountability for her death. 

Angelina was last seen at her barracks in Norfolk on May 29, according to Virginia State Police. Her body was found on June 9 in an off-base wooded area in Norfolk by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, PEOPLE previously reported.  

A spokesperson for NCIS previously told PEOPLE that a Navy sailor had been placed in “pretrial confinement” in connection with Angelina’s death. 

“Angelina was a kind and compassionate young woman who brought light into our lives,” Esmeralda Castle, Angelina’s mother, said in a statement, adding that her disappearance has left “a void in their hearts” and that they refuse to let her suffering be in vain. 

Castle claims that her family wasn’t promptly notified of Angelina’s disappearance, only learning about it informally through her daughter’s staff and media coverage. 

“Colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal,” Castle said in her statement. “And after her friends filed a missing person’s report when her commander would not, they showed little compassion or understanding.” 

Castle wants Congress to investigate Angelina’s death and make sure that in the future, the Navy notifies families properly and promptly instead of relying on “unofficial sources like the media.”

“The Navy’s failures threaten all families and the integrity of our military system,” Castle said. “Congress must reform these processes to prevent future tragedies, for the safety of all families.”

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Angelina’s family and loved ones have started a GoFundMe to help Castle with any financial needs. 

“Angie’s mother hopes to search these woods surrounding the base and hopes to have a protest calling for reform of the US Military’s treatment of missing women cases,” the fundraiser says. 

The Navy did not immediately return PEOPLE’s inquiry for comment.