Family Reacts To Identification Of Dead Teenager

EULESS (CBSDFW.COM)- A family's worst fears were confirmed Saturday morning when police confirmed that a decomposed body found near a creek was that of 19-year-old Ashley Valladares.

Now the family says Euless Police didn't do enough to find her after they reported her missing on May 7.

Her father, Jamil Valladares, told CBS11 that he knew something was very wrong when he hadn't heard from her. Family members say Ashley was close to her father and rarely went anywhere without calling him.

Family and friends were surprised when police found her body just 200 yards from her apartment in a woody area near a creek. They said they'd searched the area themselves more than a week ago. Her father says police are not doing enough to find whoever may be responsible for her death.

Police say they are interviewing people including the victim's live-in boyfriend, Christopher Taylor. Taylor told police he and Ashley argued the night she disappeared and he left the apartment. He told police when he came back later, she was gone. Police say he has fully cooperated with them.

But family members say people are not doing enough.

"They may not care but she has family that does care," said her cousin Katie Valladares.

The victim's father said his daughter was a hard worker and a fighter and he wants the person responsible for her death behind bars.
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No cause of death has been determined and police are not calling Valladares death a homicide.

Her family says all they can do now is pray for justice.

Through tears, her cousin said she wished she could have said goodbye and she wanted her cousin to know, "that I love her and that she didn't deserve to die like that so young."

If you have information that can help solve this case, call police.