Body parts of TikToker Fabiola Alejandra Caicedo Piña were reportedly found in a water plant.
Multiple outlets reported that the dismembered 19-year-old was found by officials undergoing a routine inspection of a water plant in Lima, Peru, last month.
Authorities believe that her remains were trapped in the filtration grid of a river and had been severely mutilated, multiple outlets reported. Additional body parts of Piña’s were later recovered.
Forensics discovered a tattoo on Piña’s back that read, “Paula Sophia,” which was how authorities were able to identify her, Peruvian newspaper El Comercio reported.
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According to another outlet, La Republica, The Peruvian National Police are investigating whether Piña’s death is linked to human trafficking. Men’s Journal noted that authorities suspect that the manner of her death is similar to methods used by human traffickers. No suspects have been shared at this time.
Piña, who was known by her more than 5,000 followers as “China Baby” on TikTok, left for Peru when she was a minor with her then-boyfriend, Meiner Jiménez Castillo. In 2022, he was found dead in Lima and the case remains unsolved.
“They both left peacefully; he never tricked her. She never told us she was leaving; she just left and that was it,” a relative told La Republica last month, translated to English.
In the wake of Castillo’s death, some family members have placed blame on Piña while others believe he died by suicide, per La Republica. The outlet reported that some of his family members harassed Piña on social media.
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The relative of Piña’s, however, denied that she was involved in Castillo’s death. “If that were the case, she wouldn’t have been free; she was always free. There was never an investigation or anything like that,” the family member alleged to La Republica, translated to English. “He committed suicide, and they didn’t want to accept it.”
Piña’s last video was shared on June 5, where she recorded herself lip-syncing to Anuel AA’s “Quiere Beber.” Days before, she uploaded a clip of her dancing to DJ Adoni and Yailin La Más Viral’s “Yo No Olvido” as she filmed herself in the mirror. She gave a smile for the camera before ending the video.
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