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Family, community demand justice for Miya Marcano
Family of Miya Marcano and their attorney held a news conference on Sunday. They, along with residents at the Arden Villas apartments, are demanding changes to security after the 19-year-old disappeared. On Saturday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said a body believed to be Miya's was found.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The family of Miya Marcano is demanding justice and wants to see changes at the apartment complex where their loved one was last seen.
Marcano's family held a press conference Sunday, calling on the Arden Villas apartment complex to make more changes to improve safety.
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Family and attorney in Miya Marcano case hold news conference
Miya Marcano's family held a news conference on Sunday after Orange County deputies said Saturday that a body believed to be hers was found.
"Her life cannot be taken in vain. One thing Miya taught us is to just love. Everybody," a family member said at a press conference Sunday.
Marcano had been missing since Sept. 24, when she was last seen at the Arden Villas Luxury Apartments in Orlando where she lived and worked, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies say a maintenance worker at the Arden Villas apartments accessed Marcano's apartment without her permission. She went missing after that.
Deputies discovered what they believe to be Miya’s body near the Tymber Skan Condominiums on Saturday.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the main and only suspect, the now deceased, Armando Caballero, was found dead of an apparent suicide.
The family has hired an attorney. They have not filed a lawsuit yet, but say they are prepared to.
"You shouldn’t feel unsafe where you live. That’s supposed to be everyone’s safe space," a family member said. "When you don’t feel safe somewhere, you’re supposed to be able to say ‘I’m going to go home, wrap myself in a blanket,’ and that’s just not acceptable."
They're calling on extensive background checks. They claim security cameras did not work and want better security policies.
"Miya’s death was preventable. There’s no way this man should have had access to her apartment or anyone else’s," said the family attorney, Daryl Washington.
The apartment complex did respond to comment Sunday but told FOX 35 last week:
"To ensure nothing like this happens again at Arden Villas, we are taking numerous, proactive steps to enhance our security protocols. We immediately repositioned a guard to the front gate to document all residents and guests entering and leaving the premises. Additionally, we have upgraded our maintenance procedures to allow for appointment-only bookings. We are in the process of reviewing our entire security apparatus and will make changes or upgrades as warranted."
"You should not have to implement changes after the fact when something like this is common sense. When a person goes into someone’s apartment, there should be a reason. If they don’t have a reason, they should not have access," Washington said.