TOLLESON, AZ — Phoenix police have identified Yessenia Norman, 18, as the woman found dead in Tolleson last Wednesday.
Norman was reported missing to Phoenix police on January 19. According to a Phoenix Police Department spokesperson, the officer was provided with Norman's information by staff at the transitional facility where she had been residing. This case was assigned to a detective.
Norman's mom, Jessica Calderon, said she grew concerned when her daughter did not respond to calls and texts and stopped posting on social media.
"She doesn't text me every day, but she's on social every day," Calderon said.
On January 28, Tolleson police responded to an apartment complex around 91st Avenue and the Interstate 10 Freeway, regarding a report of a possible deceased person inside one of the units.
Officers said they conducted a welfare check and located a body inside the apartment. Suspicious circumstances were identified, leading detectives to believe the death may be a homicide, according to a Tolleson Police Department spokesperson.
According to Tolleson police, investigators have no information to suggest an immediate threat to the public.
Tolleson declined to provide the victim's name or additional details.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's office has listed Norman's death as a homicide.
One of Norman's friends started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a funeral. Norman was "a very talented young woman who had a very bright future waiting for her," and she had recently signed up for community college, according to the GoFundMe page.
Calderon said her daughter had spent several years in the foster care system and recently moved into transitional housing through the Extended Foster Care Coaching Success Program.
According to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, young adults, ages 18 through 21, can voluntarily join the extended care program, which provides housing assistance, life skills training, and educational and employment support. However, participants are legal adults who can come and go as they please.
"Our hearts go out to her family, loved ones, and everyone who knew her," a DCS spokesperson told ABC15 about Norman's death. "Any loss of life is devastating, and it is especially painful when it involves a young person who had their whole life ahead of them."
