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Three Facebook Pages Memorialize Destiny Sanchez After Tragic Death

By Jess Wisloski | November 25, 2012 4:43pm

HUNTS POINT — The 15-year-old girl who was found strangled to death early Friday was being mourned both by a candlelit shrine outside the Bronx building where her limp body was discovered, and by strangers, friends, and family members on three Facebook websites posted in the wake of her death.

Destiny Sanchez, who was turning sweet 16 at the end of the month, was grieved by hundreds of friends and strangers, who posted comments on the pages.

"Rip bby Girl my chain is all i got left to remember ya pretty face," wrote one friend. "Love you dess, you will always be my lil big head," wrote another.

Other posts were less intimate, but offered support to the family, like one from "All The Lifeguards From Baretto Park Floating Pool."

"You were always an outgoing person with such a warm heart," wrote a pool staffer. "You will be missed but never forgotten. Much Love FlapJack, Ernie, Squid, Lilfoot..."

Two of the sites went live on Facebook around 5 p.m. Saturday, and one appeared Friday afternoon, hours after Destiny's body had been discovered by relatives, battered and limp in a Barretto Street building's entryway.

As of Sunday, Luis Vega, 34, the brother of Destiny's stepmother, was in police custody and had been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for supplying Destiny with alcohol. Police expected to charge him with the murder, sources said.

Rip destiny, which claims to be published by family members and had one sign off from "lil sis", posted links to news stories, had 2,900 likes, and was filled with status updates of remorseful comments directed towards the deceased girl.

"I would of never expected this to happen to you :'( </3 you live forever ♥" said one post, followed by a screen image reposted from the real Destiny's own Facebook page, grabbed in October, in which Destiny vows to live "foreverrrr lol."

Another post, from Friday, reads, "just know when we find out who did this to dede its gonna be a homicide no jail time can be equal to the beautiful girl we all lost r.i.p lil sis :'("

The site also mentioned details of the case Friday that were not immediately public — including an allusion to bleach having been dumped on the body, which the NY Daily News reported one day later. Police and the medical examiner would not confirm Sunday.

RIP Destiny Sanchez, which had a cover image reading "Rest in Paradise," already had 1,017 likes on Facebook, less than 24 hours after going live.

Photos of the young fashionista, who attended the Academy for Scholarship and Entrepreneurship in Wakefield and said she wanted to become a lawyer, adorn the page, along with some illustrated collages of Destiny, using several images of her in model-esque poses.

The page is largely devoted to publishing photos of the girl, and a post on Sunday declared the page's owner could not take responsibility for funeral donations: "Everyone Who Wants To Donate , Dont Ask me !! Ya Have To get Permission From Destiny Sanchez Family."

A reply from Rip destiny followed, asking for contact with the page's host, and said family would be glad for donations, and directing inquiries to Rip destiny.

The third page, simply called Destiny Sanchez, pledges "We're gonna update anything on Destiny's case" and featured posts summarizing press reports of the most recent arrest and account of the teenager's death:

"The autopsy proved that Destiny was strangled to death. Her ”step-uncle” was arrested for drinking with Destiny before her death. He could get charged w/ murder later in Destiny's case as more evidence is found. But currently only for endangering a minor. ~ REST IN PARADISE♥."

Administrators for the pages did not respond interview requests submitted by Facebook immediately.