A young woman has died while hiking up a mountain in Arizona in the searing heat with a police officer pal that she just met on Instagram, who allegedly left her when she got into difficulties.
Angela Tramonte, 31, from the town of Saugus in the Greater Boston area in the north-eastern US state of Massachusetts, was visiting a man she met on Instagram two months ago in the city of Phoenix in the south-western state of Arizona, bordering with Mexico.
According to friends, Tramonte was visiting Phoenix for the first time to meet her Instagram friend, name not disclosed.
He took her hiking up Camelback Mountain, said to be a difficult climb even for experienced hikers, in the intense July sun.
According to fire officials, the young woman decided to turn around because it was too hot, however, her partner, who pals said was a Phoenix police officer, wanted to keep going to the top so they separated.
Tramonte’s body was found near a property at the foot of the mountain about four hours later.
The local authorities said she probably collapsed while seeking assistance for dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Arizona Police Department spokesperson Captain Rob McDade said it was “just another reminder of just how unrelenting and unforgiving the elements of the Sonoran Desert can be”.
The local authorities do not suspect foul play at present, however, the victim’s friends told WBZ-TV that the circumstances surrounding Tramonte’s death appear suspicious.
Close friend Melissa Buttaro said: “If anybody knew Angela, she wouldn’t go anywhere without a gallon of water in her hand and I heard she was found without any water.”
Another friend called Gerardi said: “As a cop, as a first responder, you’re supposed to help people. If somebody’s walking up a mountain and you’re seeing her in distress and she’s not feeling well and she’s exhausted, why wouldn’t you walk her back down? Why would you continue to walk back up? It doesn’t make sense.”
She added: “We want justice. We want answers. We need to keep pushing.”
A GoFundMe page called ‘Justice for Angela’ has been set up that has so far achieved USD 23,300 of its USD 40,000 goal.
The investigation into her death continues.
