Since the headline-making disappearance of Arielle Valdes, new details have come to light in police documents indicating she was having mental health struggles
In the days since the headline-making disappearance of Arielle Valdes, who was later found dead, new details have come to light in police documents indicating the young woman was having struggles with her mental health, as police have said there’s no indication of a public safety threat.
When she reported her 21-year-old daughter as missing on the evening of Aug. 28, Priscila Coutinho said that her daughter “had been acting strange for the last couple of days,” according to an incident report from Florida’s Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) that was obtained by PEOPLE.
Coutinho also mentioned that her daughter said “she was hearing demon voices in her head,” per the report.
According to her mother, when Valdes — who was not on any medication, nor had she received any relevant diagnosis — left her home in North Fort Myers on Aug. 28 around 6:30 p.m. she was not wearing shoes.
Coutinho said that she had asked her daughter, described as a “long-distance marathon runner” who “usually goes out for jogs and returns,” to share her location after she had previously run off and been found at a nearby electric plant earlier that morning.
Police went on to write that Coutinho believed that her daughter, who disappeared without her phone, was “having some sort of mental crisis and believes she needs help.”
According to footage shared by the LCSO, Valdes was seen running southbound on U.S. Route 41 around 6:45 p.m. Additionally, cameras recorded her heading southbound toward the Edison Bridge around 6:50 p.m.
Five days later, on Monday, Sept. 2, the LCSO announced the remains of a woman believed to be Valdes were found during a search along the Caloosahatchee River in North Fort Myers.
“Preliminarily, there is no evidence to indicate that foul play was involved,” said the LCSO in aFacebook post. “Our hearts remain with Arielle’s family and loved ones as they navigate the coming days.”
Additional details about her death have not yet been publicly released and police tell PEOPLE that per state law, they “cannot disclose the manner of her death.” PEOPLE has reached out to the local medical examiner.
Following her death, sister Isabella Hergert told NBC affiliate WBBH that “the message” she felt Valdes would want to share was “to be present with your loved ones.”
“Know what’s important before it’s taken away,” she added.
Meanwhile, in a separate tribute, as she shared her grief, Hergert added that she was “so blessed I got to experience you and call you my sister.
