17-Year-Old Is Person Of Interest In Jholie Moussa's Death

MOUNT VERNON, VA—Fairfax County Police have identified a person of interest in the death of 16-year-old Jholie Moussa, whose body was found in a Mount Vernon park Friday, Jan. 26. The person is a 17-year-old minor whose name has not been released. He has been in police custody since Jan. 18 and is charged for a felonious assault unrelated to Moussa's death. Moussa's death is being investigated as a homicide, but the person of interest has not been charged at this time.

Officers had been pursuing a lead on her case when they encountered her body Friday morning in Woodlawn Park. Her body had been mostly covered by leaves and brush, but police identified her by appearance and a tattoo of an infinity symbol with her name and her twin sister's name (Jholie and Zhane). Autopsy results days later confirmed it was Moussa, but the cause and manner of death has not yet been released.

The teen went missing on Jan. 13 and had been initially entered as a runaway juvenile in the National Crime Information Center database. That status was later changed to an endangered minor.

Moussa's grieving mother Syreeta Steward-Hill told Fox5DC she did not believe her daughter ran away on her own account, contrary to how police handled the search. Detectives originally said there wasn't evidence she was in immediate danger, so no Amber Alert was issued.

"It hurt me how it was handled," Steward-Hill said. "It just hurt because I know my child and I know that it was out of character for her not to come home." According to the mother, Jholie told her twin sister she would be back and didn't bring personal items with.

There will be a memorial service for Moussa on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. at New Life Open Bible Church, 6434 Franconia Road, Springfield, family members told Fox5DC.

Patch will update this story.

Image via Fairfax County Police