Missing Instagram Model Feared Murdered After Vanishing from L.A. Home with Car Abandoned
Authorities in two states are investigating the suspicious disappearance of Brazilian Instagram model Ana Braga, who hasn’t been seen or heard from since late January.
Reports out of both California and Oklahoma suggest Braga may have been murdered by two men who have been apprehended in Brazil and allegedly confessed to the crime. However, PEOPLE was unable to independently verify those claims.
According to KTLA, Braga, 23, moved to Los Angeles from Brazil last year to pursue modeling full-time.
Her family last heard from her on January 29. Her car, a white 2015 Honda Accord, was recently located in the parking area at Remington Park, an Oklahoma casino and racetrack, where it had been sitting for weeks, according to KFOR.
Citing search warrants obtained from court, KFOR reports that California authorities pinged Braga’s car, tracking it to the Oklahoma City casino.
Authorities searched the vehicle, finding Braga’s identification, according to the station.
The KTLA report claims Los Angeles Police recovered surveillance footage that they believe shows Braga’s lifeless body with a belt and electrical cord wrapped around her neck.
Police in Oklahoma also allegedly have footage from February 1, showing two men abandoning Braga’s car in the casino parking lot before leaving in a green minivan.
More than 17,000 people follow Braga on Instagram; her profile currently reads, “DESAPARECIDA,” which means “Disappeared” in Portuguese.
On Valentine’s Day, authorities in Los Angeles recovered the body of a young female with an electrical cord around her neck. Medical examiners have not confirmed the victim’s identity.
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Brazilian news outlet R7 spoke to Braga’s family and friends, who all believe she is dead.
Braga’s mother, Delma Felix, said she is already making arrangements to have her daughter’s remains transported back to Minas Gerais.
