Running car found abandoned in field leads officers to 15-year-old’s body, Ohio cops say
A missing 15-year-old girl was found dead after someone spotted a suspicious-looking vehicle in Ohio, authorities said.
A citizen reported an abandoned car— with the engine and windshield wipers running — in a field in Cleveland around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, the Cleveland Police Department said in a news release on Oct. 31.
Officers investigated the vehicle and found a teen dead inside with a gunshot wound. The victim was 15-year-old Jaiden Rentas, the Cuyahoga Medical Examiner told McClatchy News.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with Rentas’ death and booked him into the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. No charges have been filed.
According to a Facebook post by Rentas’ grandmother, Julie Smith, the suspect was Rentas’ boyfriend.
Rentas ran away on Wednesday, Oct. 19, according to a missing person poster shared on Facebook by her mother, Jas Torres. Her family had not seen her since she told them she was catching a bus to school, Torres said in a series of Facebook posts.
A GoFundMe started by Rentas’ aunt, Autumn Smith, said the family did not know if she ran away by choice or by force. Her family is mourning her death and calling for justice.
“Jaiden was always overflowing with laughter, she felt fully and deeply,” Autumn Smith said on the GoFundMe page. “She loved all animals, she was goofy, silly, stubborn, and strong.”
Rentas’ uncle, Dan Richings, mourned the loss on Facebook saying, “From the moment we met, you (Rentas) just lit up the whole world around you, and every day was a little easier seeing you smile.”
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Running car found abandoned in field leads officers to 15-year-old’s body, Ohio cops say."
