3-Year-Old Girl Found Dead In Recycling Facility Following Father's Death

A three-year-old girl was found dead at a recycling facility in the Bay Area shortly after her father's death, PEOPLE reports.

The mother of Ellie Lorenzo , 3, reported that her daughter was missing on Friday (July 12) after she learned that the girl's father was found dead in a city near Fremont, California, police said. Under a custody agreement between the parents, police said Lorenzo was supposed to be returned to her mother on Friday after being under her father's care.

“The mother of the child got news that the father was deceased in San Francisco and the child was not with him at that time,” Fremont Police Sgt. Kim McDonald said in a statement. “The Fremont police department went to his apartment in Fremont and the child was not located there.”

On Saturday (July 13), Lorenzo's body was found at a recycling facility in San Jose. The circumstances of her death are still under investigation, but police said they are treating the case as a homicide.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Lorenzo's father, who hasn't been identified publicly, also remain unclear.

Lorenzo's mother, identified as Chrystal Obi , said her daughter was a "smart and curious mind" with a "big smile and warm loving heart.”

“Ellie’s life was full of so many people who loved her so much and will miss her beyond words can explain,” Obi said.

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