Body Found in Search for Missing Runner Arielle Valdes 5 Days After She Disappeared in Florida

Mar. 15, 2025

Arielle Valdes, the woman who disappeared in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.Photo:Lee County Sheriff’s Office

Lee County Sheriff’s Office

Valdes vanished on Wednesday, Aug. 28, after leaving her home to go on a run at the 90th block of Mariana Avenue in North Fort Myers around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to theLee County Sheriff’s Office(LCSO).

“We are heartbroken about Arielle’s passing,” said Joseph Sowels, who organized aGoFundMecampaign started after Valdes’ disappearance.

Loved ones are holding off on determining what to use the funds for after Valdes’ body was found. Originally, the funds were raised as a reward for “the person who provides information to the family or police that lead directly to finding Arielle.”

Hergert paid tribute to her sister in several posts on herFacebook page. In the first post, she wrote, “Ari you were too good for this world. I love you and I will see you again in every lifetime. You are a piece of my soul that I will always look for.”

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Valdes’ sister then added, “Thank you so much for the love we have received from the community. Please give us privacy while we grieve our angel.”

“My sister was a real life angel,” Hergert captioned the post. “I know this is all for a greater purpose.”

Valdes’ death was also mourned in a post shared on a Facebook Page dedicated to finding the missing woman, titled “Finding Arielle Valdes.” She was described as a “vibrant personality and gentle soul” who “brought so much light into the lives of those who knew her.”

Valdes was training for a marathon prior to her disappearance, Hegert shared onFacebook.

Crews searched “both land and sea over the last five days in search of Valdes, according to the sheriff’s office.

On the “Finding Arielle Valdes” Facebook page, members of the community were thanked for stepping up to help with the search for Valdes, as well as those who offered emotional support to the woman’s family.

source: people.com