ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Authorities in Buncombe County said a 14-year-old girl who was reported missing Monday has been found dead.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies began searching for Sundari Anders-Hoepgen after she was last seen around 11:30 a.m. Monday near the Riverstone Apartments on Greenville Avenue in Arden.
Deputies and assisting agencies searched the area late into the night before suspending operations in the heavily wooded terrain, officials said. Crews from the sheriff’s office, Skyland Fire Department, Buncombe County Emergency Services and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation resumed the search Tuesday morning.
Several hours later, deputies found Anders-Hoepgen’s body, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities said there is no threat to the public.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
