Police: Body Identified as Missing Pregnant Woman

A body found late Tuesday night was identified as a pregnant Mount Vernon woman who has been missing since Sept. 25.

A Mount Vernon police detective found the body of Gizela Andrade, 32, at about 10 p.m. in a parking lot just over the border of Mount Vernon and New York City. Andrade's body was in the driver's seat of her white 2010 Toyota Venza, Detective Sgt. Robert Scott said.

For Andrade's family, it's the worst possible news after a frantic period of searching, posting fliers and hoping for the best.

"They're devastated," family friend Hermes Guedes said. "That's the news they didn't want to hear."

The parking lot, off South MacQuesten Parkway, "is back off in a wooded area" and "pretty secluded," Scott said. Detective Roberto Boncardo visited a nearby precinct on an unrelated matter and spotted Andrade's white Venza after leaving the precinct.

Andrade's body was identified by her family. Because her body was found in New York City, the investigation and autopsy will be handled by New York City authorities. An autopsy was being conducted late Wednesday morning, Scott said.

Police don't know the cause of death, and they're waiting on the results of the autopsy and toxicology reports. Scott said police do not know when the autopsy results will be ready and said the toxicology reports could take quite some time to be completed.

Andrade was a diabetic and did not take her medication with her when she left her home on Sept. 25, a fact that caused increasing worry for her family as the days passed and they didn't hear from the native of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Police are considering the death suspicious, but are cautious about revealing more details.

"We're not ruling out anything at this point," Scott said, but added "there are no suspects and we don't know of any foul play at this point."

In the meantime, the family's worst fears have been realized. In pleading for the public's help in finding her twin sister, Gabriela Larison of New Rochelle said it was out of character for her sister to remain silent and not call to say she's okay.

"She would never do that to me. She knows how much I worry about her," Larison said at the time.

Guedes, who assisted in the frantic search for Andrade over the past week and a half, said Wednesday morning that the family was gathering at Andrade's Mount Vernon home. Satellite trucks had converged on the home, and the family remained inside as the number of reporters multiplied.

Now they're faced with making funeral arrangements while they still have unanswered questions. Guedes said the family will likely hold a funeral in Westchester before bringing Andrade's body to her native Brazil.

In the meantime, they're grieving – and remembering a good friend.

"She was a lovely person," said Guedes, who has known Andrade for seven years since she moved to the U.S.