West Melbourne Police are conducting a death investigation.
Patrol Officers from the West Melbourne Police were dispatched to 89 NW Irwin Ave on
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at approximately 6:14 pm. Responding officers found an
unresponsive, partially clothed, 14 year old female in the bathtub of apartment number 8.
Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful and she was pronounced deceased by
Fire/Rescue personnel.
Officers initially received conflicting information from multiple bystanders
who were on the scene. Some of the information indicated that the victim may
have been sexually assaulted and strangled. As with all death investigations, the crime
scene was immediately secured. Due to the suspicious nature, Detectives were summoned
to the scene to assume the investigation.
Detectives have since conducted multiple interviews. They executed a search warrant on
apartment 8, documented the crime scene, and worked with the Medical Examiner’s
Office.
Preliminary findings in this death investigation did not reveal any evidence of strangulation or
sexual assault.
The final manner and cause of death will come from the Medical
Examiner’s Office. Illegal drugs and
paraphernalia were recovered. It is unclear if these drugs contributed to the
death. No charges have been filed and no suspects are being sought. This case remains
active, as detectives await official autopsy results and conduct more interviews.
The deceased juvenile has been identified as 14 year old Arnina A. Prince. (04/02/2002).
Prince was reported as a runaway from the Miami Gardens, FL area.
