A missing TikToker was found dead and dismembered near a water treatment plant in Lima, Peru, earlier this month.
On June 9, the body of Fabiola Alejandra Caicedo Piña, 19, was located while workers were conducting a routine inspection of the La Atarjea plant, reported InfoBae, an Argentinian outlet.
Pieces of Caicedo’s body were found in bags outside the plant. The gruesome discovery led to police officers and prosecutors showing up to the scene.
Police identified Caicedo, who posted her last TikTok on June 5, through her distinctive tattoos.
A tattoo on her arm included the phrase, ‘Love me for who I am’ in English. Another tattoo with the words ‘Paula Sophia’ was found on her torso.
Days later, on June 15, more bodily remains were found. As of June 19, body parts were still missing.
While authorities are unsure what caused her death, they suspect she was strangled prior to being dismembered.
Two main ideas are circulating among police about who could be behind Caicedo’s murder.
On June 9, remains belonging to Fabiola Alejandra Caicedo Piña, 19, were found near a water treatment plant in Lima, Peru
The more straightforward theory is that the young woman was caught up in Peru’s human trafficking trade.
In recent weeks, multiple young women have been found dead in the Lima area or in the Rímac River, some of them zipped up into suitcases.
Police also believe that Caicedo could have been killed by people who wanted revenge for the death of her ex-boyfriend, who died in 2022 under mysterious circumstances.
In 2022, Caicedo left her home country of Venezuela at just 16 years old. She was accompanied by her then-boyfriend, Mayner Yoffrey Giménez Castrillo, who was 21 years older than her.
Castrillo died months after the two moved to Lima together, which led to his family suspecting that Caicedo was involved somehow.
Various family members publicly accused Caicedo, then a minor, of conspiring with a new romantic partner to kill Castrillo.
Police suspect that on the night before Caicedo’s death, she was lured away from a party under false pretenses
Her remains were thought to be dumped into the Rímac River, where they later ended up at the water treatment plant. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named in Caicedo’s murder
Police first believed that Castrillo was beaten to death but now think it could have been a suicide. The case remains open three years later.
Caicedo has never been formally investigated for her ex-boyfriend’s death and continued her lifestyle of working at nightclubs and bars.
Police suspect that on the night before Caicedo’s death, she was lured away from a party under false pretenses.
Cigarette burns on her feet and legs have led police to believe that she may have also been tortured.
Her remains were thought to be dumped into the Rímac River, where they later ended up at the water treatment plant.
Detectives are still reviewing security camera footage and interviewing people who knew her.
No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named in Caicedo’s murder.
