ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Authorities have identified remains found on the side of a road near Orlando as a missing 15-year-old girl.
Orange County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jane Watrel tells local news outlets a passer-by found the body of Melanie Mesen Medina on Tuesday morning.
Watrel says the girl had "suffered trauma to her body" and may have been dumped onto the side of the road.
The sheriff's office is investigating her death as a homicide.
Orange County Public Schools spokeswoman Shari Bobinski says the teen's parents withdrew her from Corner Lake Middle School on April 6. Grief counselors are available to students and staff at the school.
Sheriff's investigators are asking anyone who knew the girl, or had contact with her recently, to contact detectives.
