LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — A 26-year-old “at-risk” woman, who was reported missing over the weekend, has been found dead, Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam said.
LCSO confirmed no foul play is suspected.
Deputies said loved ones reported Hope Pascual Vergara missing on Sunday, Jan. 5. They told police that Vergara walked away from a residence on Don McGinnis Road around 5:40 a.m.
Lincoln County’s drone team and K-9 units assisted in the search, along with Gaston County Emergency Management and Fire Services, and Gaston County EMS.
Authorities said responders searched over 1,700 acres on Sunday, but were unable to find Vergara. Their search resumed Monday morning and later that night, Sheriff Beam confirmed she had been found dead.
In a Facebook post, Beam said Vergara’s “family has been notified” and the “investigation continues.”
This is a developing story. Check wsoctv.com for updates.
(WATCH BELOW: Records show police have person of interest in woman’s stabbing death in SouthPark)
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