Body of missing St. Petersburg woman found near Pinellas Bayway
The body of a missing St. Petersburg woman was found Monday in the Boca Ciega Bay near the Pinellas Bayway, according to police.
Arlete Desousa, 70, was reported missing late Sunday, hours after her last contact with a relative, the St. Petersburg Police Department said in a news release Monday. Crews searched by land and air for Desousa, who lived on Brittany Drive S near the Pinellas Bayway, police said.
A passerby spotted a body in the water near Osprey Drive South a little after 10 a.m. Monday and called 911, the release said. A rescue team was sent and recovered the body from the bay.
Investigators later confirmed the body belonged to Desousa.
Police do not believe foul play was involved in Desousa’s death, based on preliminary evidence. However, the investigation is ongoing.
The Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine Desousa’s cause of death.
