Concord family grieving after 18-year-old found dead

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord family is searching for answers after their 18-year-old daughter was found dead following this weekend’s winter storm. Police said alcohol and extreme cold likely contributed to her death, but relatives said they still have questions about what happened in the hours before she was found.

“That she meant so much to me,” said Ana Hernandez Castro, sister. “I always took care of my sisters, and I always tried to protect them. And I just wish there’s something I could have done.”

The Concord family is grieving after what happened.

Castro said the last time she saw her little sister, 18-year-old Yadira, alive was Saturday evening.

She said Yadira went to take a walk with her friend around 6 p.m. and never returned home.

“My mom later called her, ‘OK, well it’s late. Please don’t come home late and come back with, like a company, with your friends,’” Castro said. “Because we don’t want you outside in this weather especially alone.”

The snow got heavier as time passed, and the family became more and more worried when Yadira never came home.

“She stops answering the phone and that’s not like her,” Yadira said. “She always answers the phone or text messages at least.”

They searched all night for Yadira, tracked her phone but still couldn’t find her.

On Sunday morning, they filed a missing person’s report with the Concord Police Department.

The search grew with dozens of community members and first responders.

“And my dad said he had a feeling that she was there,” the sister said. “He was, like, ‘I had a feeling that my daughter’s in that junkyard.’”

Yadira’s father did another check of the lot, and the family said their biggest fear came true.

They said Yadira’s body was found between two cars

“He said he just felt it in his whole body, his heart, that piece of him,” Castro said. “Like, his daughter was there.”

Yadira’s life has just begun. She was an honors student and graduated early from high school.

She had dreams of working in the medical field but helped her mother in her food truck until those dreams became reality.

But now her family is living a nightmare.

“We tried everything. We didn’t sleep. We didn’t eat,” Castro said. “We were searching for her day and night since Saturday. Since we didn’t hear from her, we tried everything possible. We just wanted to know that we did try so hard, because we love her.”

Investigators suspect alcohol and extreme cold temperatures contributed to Yadira’ death and current evidence do not suggest foul play, according to the initial investigation conducted by CPD.

The family still has questions.

They are asking for help to pay for funeral and memorial costs. Click here to learn more.

Channel 9 brought those concerns to CPD and officials said they will release more information once the initial autopsy report is finished in the coming days.