By Joe Johnson
Members of the local Hispanic immigrant community will be coming together Friday evening for greater awareness of the unsolved death of 38-year-old Athens resident Adriana Castañeda.
The Mexican immigrant’s body was found on March 21 in a wooded area near Maple Forge off of Lavender Road, two weeks after she was reported to be missing.
Her family members do not believe that police are investigating the case as vigorously as they might if Castañeda hadn’t been a Latina immigrant.
“They feel like when a white person goes missing, they are found on the second or third day,” said Angel Torres, spokesman for Digndidad Immigrante en Athens, which is organizing a Justice For Adriana rally and vigil in downtown Athens.
According to Torres, Castañeda’s family does not believe that the police looked into the woman’s disappearance with a sense of urgency, even though it was out of character for her to go anywhere without letting people know.
Reportedly intending to go to a party at a local bar, Castañeda was last seen at her home on Kathwood Drive where she was picked up by a vehicle driven by a unknown person. Torres said family members think that person could have been an ex-boyfriend who owns a house over three miles away on Maple Forge Drive, very near to where the woman's body was located by police. The man reportedly left the county for Mexico at about the time Casañeda went missing.
Lt. Shaun Barnett, spokesman for he Athens Clarke County Police Department, said Castañeda’s case has received the full attention of investigators.
“Detectives were exhaustive and meticulous in their efforts to locate Castaneda when she was reported missing to ACCPD on May 7,” he said. “When Castaneda’s body was located on March 21, ACCPD immediately initiated a death investigation utilizing every appropriate resource available. We will continue to thoroughly investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding Castaneda’s death.”
According to police, the woman’s body showed no signs of fatal injury, and an autopsy was not able to immediately determine a cause of death. Pending results from toxicology testing could help in solving the mystery, police have indicated.
Torres said family members think that Castaneda was murdered. Investigators have not ruled out that possibility.
The Justice for Adriana rally is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with a rally at City Hall on College Avenue and is set to end with a vigil at the University of Georgia Arch on East Broad Street.
“We are not trying to cause trouble, we just want to be heard,” Torres said.
Explain how what I wrote is "hateful".
As long as ACC is a "sanctuary city" I will assume that "immigrants" are here illegally and the odds will be in my favor.
Explain how what I wrote is trying to "beat them down".
Explain why their suffering excuses them beating down the cops who are investigating this by accusing them of being racist. Explain how I'm the bad guy here for calling that BS out.
Try again 🤡
Who said the victim or her driver was illegal? It seems she has been here at least since 2015. An Many "immigrants" are LEGAL.
2015 drug conviction.
2 battery convictions as well.
Athens/Clarke clerk of court
"she was picked up by a vehicle driven by a unknown person"
The police did a great job.
The autopsy will reveal the uncomfortable truth. Then, who do you blame?
I'm sure this person's family and friends are emotional, sad, frustrated, and want answers, as anyone would. Blaming the police is not the way to go. Emotions run high in times like this but give the police a chance to do their job. Making accusations of racial motivation in the investigation of this case is absurd. Anytime any minority has any complaint these days, be it a hamburger that wasn't cooked like someone wanted to a death investigation that wasn't like someone wanted. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE. STOP WITH BLAMING EVERYTHING ON RACISM!!!