Family identifies teen girl found dead on Antioch roadside

Father speaks out about daughter's suspicious death in Antioch

Jeana Flores, 17, was found lying on the shoulder of the road in the area of L Street, between West 18th and West 10th streets, at approximately 3:33 a.m. on Friday morning.

ANTIOCH, Calif. - Family members on Saturday identified a 17-year-old girl who was found dead on the side of a road in Antioch on the previous morning.

Joseph Flores said his daughter, Jeana Flores, was found lying on the shoulder of the road. The Antioch Police Department said a teen's body was found in the area of L Street, between West 18th and West 10th streets, at approximately 3:33 a.m. Friday.

Authorities did not identify the victim as Jeana, only confirming that the victim was not an Antioch Unified School District student.

Family receives the news

Dig deeper:

Joseph said he knew something was wrong when he got on the phone with an Antioch police investigator, who asked if he was sitting down.

"Right then and there, I knew something’s up," he said. "I said, ‘Just be straight with me; is my daughter breathing?"

Timeline:

Joseph said that, after sharing the news, the investigator told him his daughter last visited a family friend – who he identified as his sister due to their close relationship.

Joseph said he broke the news to his sister, and she confirmed to him that Jeana was at her home on Thursday night to do some laundry, but left just past 9 p.m.

What we don't know:

Police described the victim’s death as "suspicious," and Joseph said investigators told him that Jeana was found with scrapes and gashes on her head and hands.

However, no further information regarding her death has been released.

Remembering Jeana

Joseph remembered his daughter as funny and bubbly – sometimes even moody.

"She was fierce, sometimes. She was witty," he said. "She had a really, really good heart."

He said his daughter was trying hard to turn things around and was working on Treasure Island through Job Corps.

"My main thing in life, and I really tried to install in her, was credibility, and having some codes and ethics," Joseph said.

He said, of all her qualities, he would miss Jeana’s voice the most.