Body Found by FBI ‘Believed to Be Hania Aguilar,’ Missing N. Carolina Teen, Says Superintendent

After the FBI said investigators discovered a body in the search for missing 13-year-old North Carolina girl Hania Aguilar, a school district issued a statement, saying the body is “believed to be Hania.”

“At the time of discovery, officials were following leads related to the search for 13-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar. The body is believed to be Hania, but the identity has not yet been confirmed. However, authorities have notified Hania’s family and they are waiting for the body to be positively identified,” Public Schools of Robeson County Superintendent Dr. Shanita Wooten said in a statement to WPDE-TV on Nov. 28.

The FBI has yet to confirm if the body is of the missing teen, but it said the girl’s family was notified, according to a post on Twitter.

“Upon receiving full confirmation, the district will provide increased support staff that will be made available for all students and staff at Lumberton Junior High School. This is an unfortunate end to an extensive search and we are committed to supporting all students and staff as they cope with the heartbreaking tragedy,” according to the superintendent’s statement.

The girl went missing in early November after a person wearing black forced her into a stolen SUV on her family’s property in Lumberton. The SUV was recovered a few days later, but neither Hania or the suspect were found.

The school statement continues: “On behalf of PSRC district leaders, administrators, staff and students, we extend our sincerest condolences to Hania’s family, friends, and community. This is a difficult time for our entire district and we are mourning this loss and are still processing this terrible tragedy. We are keeping Hania in our thoughts and will continue to pray for her family and each other as the investigation continues.”

FBI Update

The FBI said the body was found on Wire Grass Road in Robeson County at 4:45 p.m. local time on Nov. 27. “The body has not been positively identified, but agents were following leads related to the search for 13-year-old Hania Aguilar. Please continue to pray for Hania, her family, & each other,” the FBI office in Charlotte wrote on Twitter.

Wire Grass Road is among several of the roads where the FBI had previously asked the public for surveillance footage, WLOS reported.

The FBI hasn’t released any more details about the new development.

Officials are offering a $30,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Hania is described as a Hispanic girl who is around 5 feet tall and 125 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

She was seen wearing a blue shirt with flowers and blue jeans.

The FBI, in a statement earlier this week, said that it and the local Lumberton Police Department have investigated 800 leads, reviewed surveillance footage, and interviewed about 400 people, said the FBI.

The FBI also elaborated on the abduction and 911 call about the missing girl.

“A female caller speaking Spanish was on the line, and the Robeson County dispatcher quickly requested a Spanish translator to join the call. Initial reports during the 911 described the abductor as a black male,” the agency said in a statement.