The FBI has announced it is assisting the Orange County, Fla., Sheriff's Office in the search for 19-year-old Miya Marcano, the Florida college student who has been missing since last week.
Sheriff John Mina of Orange County told reporters Thursday the FBI is "providing technology" in the search for Marcano, who was last seen at her home at around 5 p.m. at the Arden Villas Luxury Apartments in Orlando.
Marcano was scheduled to fly home to Fort Lauderdale later that evening but, according to authorities, she never boarded the plane.
The sheriff's office's emergency response team, alongside other agencies, have conducted nearly 30 searches across the state of Florida following Marcano's disappearance, Mina told reporters at a news conference.
More than 60 Orange County detectives are working exclusively on the case.
"We're coming up on the weekend now. We know that many people will be out and about, in outdoor areas, in waterways," Mina said, asking the community to remain vigilant and to contact authorities if they know any new details.
Earlier this week, investigators found Armando Manuel Caballero, a primary person of interest in Marcano's disappearance, had been found dead in Seminole County, Fla., of an apparent suicide.
Authorities did not specify when exactly Caballero died, but when his body was discovered, Mina said he had been dead for "quite some time."
HELP FIND MIYA: Miya Marcano is still missing. We suspect foul play. Person of interest Armando Caballero was found dead today. It appears he killed himself.
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) September 27, 2021
Caballero was a maintenance worker at Arden Villas, where Miya lives, works & was last seen.
Call 407-836-4357 w/ info. pic.twitter.com/fQb0JxOSUx
Caballero, who worked at Marcano's apartment complex, had access to a master key in which he used to let himself inside Marcano's apartment at about 4:30 p.m. last Friday, Mina told reporters during an update Monday.
"We believe that the suspect that we had named, Armando Caballero, is responsible," Mina said. "We don't know all the circumstances involved in what happened there. He was obviously the prime suspect."
As of Friday, authorities are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Marcano.
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