ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County deputies are expected to ramp up their search efforts at the apartment complex where Miya Marcano was last seen.
Residents at the Arden Villas Apartments said they received notice that law enforcement officers will be entering all occupied garages and storage units on Thursday as they continue their investigation into the missing 19-year-old, who was last seen on Friday.
[TIMELINE: Miya Marcano case]
“The areas we’re searching are so large and it’s really hard to narrow it down to one specific space,” Caili Sue, Marcano’s cousin said.
Sheriff’s officials would not share the specific location or time of the search.
Marcano’s cousin, Adriana Sue, is desperate for answers as the search for the 19-year-old now expands to three counties.
“Mia is in the prime of her life. Her life is just getting started and we need to bring her home,” said Sue.
Sue said Marcano is a South Florida native in her second year at Valencia College with plans to transfer to UCF and pursue a career in sports medicine and physical therapy.
“We have faith in Mia. That Mia is still fighting, That she’s waiting for us to come to her, for us to find her,” Sue said.
Miya Marcano’s cousin is now speaking with us about today’s search efforts.
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) September 30, 2021
She says the family is searching in several areas around Central Florida.
The family is also not giving up hope and renewing a plea for tips in the case. https://t.co/f06HzN8BHy pic.twitter.com/dj3zHAhkL7
On Wednesday, crews were seen searching woods near the Orange County apartment complex.
Dive teams were also spotted conducting a search in Lake Monroe. When asked about the divers, Seminole County deputies referred questions to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which would not confirm any details.
Marcano has not been seen since around 5 p.m. Friday at the Arden Villas Apartments near the University of Central Florida. It is not clear when she was reported missing, but her father told News 6 on Monday that his daughter was supposed to fly to Fort Lauderdale on Friday.
Investigators announced Monday that a person of interest in Marcano’s disappearance, Armondo Manuel Caballero, had been found dead at an apartment complex in Seminole County from an apparent suicide. Mina said Caballero was a maintenance worker at Arden Villas since June and had accessed Marcano’s apartment.
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Anyone with information regarding Marcano or Caballero as it relates to her disappearance is urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 407-836-4357 or Crimeline at 800-423-8477.
A search group just arrived at the Arden Villas Apartments. Search efforts are expected to ramp up today for missing 19-year-old Miya Marcano. pic.twitter.com/DHd0qZSBc9
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) September 30, 2021
The search for Miya Marcano enters its 6th day and there is still no sign of the missing 19-year-old.
— Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) September 30, 2021
Deputies say they’ll be searching garages and storage units today at the Arden Villas Apartments.https://t.co/KdwhGNiwPI pic.twitter.com/FPiGOXERet