A sailor assigned to the Norfolk-based USS James E. Williams has been arrested in connection with the death of Seaman Angelina Resendiz. The Navy has yet to release the name of the sailor charged.
The 21-year-old sailor was reported missing after she was last seen May 29th. Her body was later discovered in a wooded area inside Norfolk. .
The unnamed sailor will be tried according the Uniform Code of Military Justice which governs members of the military.
“NCIS remains committed to uncovering the facts surrounding the tragic death of Seaman Resendiz to ensure accountability and justice,” The Navy Criminal Investigative service (NCIS) said in a statement to CNN.
Resendiz’s mother, Esmeralda Castle spoke at the pretrial hearing requesting that her daughter’s accused murderer not be released pending trial.
“The person responsible for this horrific loss made deliberate choices that ended Angie’s life,” she said. “Their actions were not a mistake—they were a betrayal of trust, of duty, and of basic human decency. To even consider releasing them would add another injustice to an already unbearable tragedy.”
Castle has been critical of lack of communication from official channels, saying she was never informed of her daughter’s disappearance, but heard about it through media coverage.
The Navy has announced that Resendiz will receive full military honors when her remains are returned to her hometown in Texas.