SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) - A Utah family still doesn’t know if it was their 13-year old daughter who was killed in a deadly Washington state shootout.
Authorities are now requesting Astrid Valdivia’s dental records in hopes of identifying the victim.
She was believed to be with Anthony Allen Martinez who was killed in Sunday’s shoot out with police.
Police said Astrid Valdivia was wearing an ankle monitor but still managed to break out of a foster home.
“It was cut off,” said Gary Keller of the South Salt Lake police department.
“I don't know if it was scissors or how it was removed but the strap on it was cut."
He said there should have been an alarm going if notifying respective agencies about the ankle being tampered with.
Agencies like the Department of Children and Family Services are seeking answers. They had custody of her.
“Those are things that are pending,” said Liz Sollis of D.C.F.S. “The investigation is currently going on and those are things we always look into."
Last fall, Valdivia ran away with Martinez and both were found in California.
That's when authorities said a juvenile judge ordered she wear an ankle monitor and stay in a foster home.
According to police, her foster parents last saw her January 18th at ten p.m.
The next morning police were notified that Valdivia was missing and started their internal investigation.
And within 24 hours, police went public about her disappearance.
But when Valdivia first cut into the strap where were the alarms?
"If they cut into the strap of the device, depending on the device, there could be a number of hours that go by before it's first reported," said John Hastings of Secure Alert a company that makes ankle monitors.
Valdivia wasn't their client.
But he said their own devices give instant warnings when someone tampers with it. He said there are no standards in the industry to regulate a minimum requirement for safety.
But he also said no matter how secure a person is they can still manage to break free. He said Valdivia was determined to get out.
“She had a strong conviction to do what she did and to go where she went and put herself in an unfortunate situation,” he said. “It’s tragic."
