The body of a missing nine-year-old girl has been found dumped in a river.
Gabriela Santana disappeared while playing in the street with a friend.
They told her family that she had been abducted by a “young man.”
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Concerned loved ones immediately reported her as kidnapped.
At the time of her disappearance, her mother said: “I need you to help me find my baby.
“I need you to find her and return her to me safe and sound.
“The girl is nine years old, skinny, and has curly hair.
“If you know anything about my baby, call me or message me so I can go look for her.”
Sadly, little Gabriela was found dead the following day on Sunday (23 Mar), as reported by Need To Know.
Her body was discovered in the Cravo Norte River in the municipality of the same name in northern Colombia, located close to the border with Venezuela.
The river is not far from where she was last seen playing in the street.
Public prosecutor Yonnys Armando Escobar said: “We regretfully inform the public that the little girl’s body was found in the Los Cañales area, about 10 minutes from the urban centre of Cravo Norte.”
Forensic experts arrived on the scene to remove the body and begin their investigation into what happened in the girl’s final moments.
Gabriela’s body was taken to a nearby morgue to establish her exact cause of death.
State governor Renson Martínez said: “We have called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to act swiftly and carry out all necessary investigations that will lead to the immediate capture of the person who took this innocent girl’s life.”
The Governor’s Office is offering a reward of £2,825 (COP 15 million) for any information leading to the perpetrator’s arrest.
The investigation continues.
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