A heartbreaking tragedy has shaken the town of Chiquinquirá, Colombia, after the body of a 9-year-old girl, Laura Valentina Páez, was found in a river just days after she went missing. Police believe a local fruit vendor, Daniel Josué Zambrano Cáceres, is responsible for the crime.
It all began on January 16, when Laura took her dog out for a walk in the evening. She never came back. Her mother, who works as a street vendor, returned home at 3 a.m. the next day and realized Laura was gone. Desperate and worried, she reported her daughter missing.
Authorities started investigating and soon found security footage showing a man approaching Laura that night. Police identified him as Cáceres. The footage reportedly shows him putting the little girl into his car and driving away toward the outskirts of town.
Cáceres was arrested days later, but by then, the search for Laura had taken a devastating turn. On January 21, a group of soldiers discovered her body at the mouth of the Minero River, about 45 miles from where she had disappeared. The grim discovery was confirmed by both the town’s mayor and the medical examiner.
Investigators searched Cáceres’ car and found important evidence, including bodily fluids, which are now undergoing forensic analysis. Cáceres has been charged with forced disappearance, and authorities say more charges are likely. According to some reports, Cáceres initially confessed during an interrogation but later denied everything when he appeared before a judge.
This tragedy has left the community in shock and mourning, as people struggle to come to terms with the loss of a young life in such a cruel and senseless way. Laura’s story is now a painful reminder of the dangers that children face and the importance of justice for victims like her.