COOPER CITY, Fla. — Family and friends of Miya Marcano came together Wednesday to celebrate her life ahead of a Thursday funeral service.
What You Need To Know
- Miya Marcano will be laid to rest Thursday near Fort Lauderdale
- A celebration of her life is scheduled for Wednesday in Cooper City
- A memorial service is set for Thursday, also in Cooper City
- The Valencia student was killed at the end of September
The celebration of life took place Wednesday at Cooper City Church of God in Cooper City, near Fort Lauderdale. Marcano's funeral will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, also at Cooper City Church of God.
She will be buried at Bailey Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale after the funeral.
Marcano’s body was found Oct. 2, near the Tymber Skan on the Lake condominiums. She went missing Sept. 24, from the Arden Villas apartments near UCF, where she worked and lived.
People gathered at the Arden Villas apartment complex for nightly vigils when she first went missing.
The case is still under investigation, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Office named Anthony Manuel Caballero, 27, as a person of interest.
Caballero, a maintenance man who also worked at Arden Villas, was found dead Sept. 27, at his apartment in Seminole County. Investigators said they believe he committed suicide.
Marcano's family also announced the launch of the Miya Marcano Memorial Foundation, which was created in her name to support, educate and provide resources to families of missing persons, and to advocate for the protection of students.
The family requests that the public make a donation to the Miya Marcano Memorial Foundation in lieu of sending flowers to the services. Donations can be made on the foundation’s website.