Hundreds Attend Vigil for Woman Found Dead in Sunken Car

Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil Sunday night to remember the 20-year-old daughter of a Long Beach police officer who was found dead in a car submerged in a Southern California drainage channel earlier in the day.

Ashlee Armond is believed to have accidentally driven her car into the Los Cerritos Channel in Long Beach. Her green Honda was spotted late Saturday night in the channel, which leads to Alamitos Bay, said a statement from the Long Beach Police Department.

Armond was pronounced dead at the scene after being taken out of the submerged car by Long Beach Fire Department divers, the statement said.

Family reported Armond missing since just after midnight Saturday, when she left a friend's house near the drainage channel in East Long Beach, police said.

When Armond didn't return home by Saturday morning, her family reported her missing.

Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said Armond's father went looking for her and found her car in the canal.

Detectives believe she was driving down a dead-end street leading to the channel and didn't stop at the end of the road, the statement said. They called the incident accidental.

Friends at the vigil at 5th Street and Silvera Avenue said Armond was fun to be around and brought smiles to people's faces.

"You see this stuff happen a lot, but you never expect it to happen to someone you know," said Armond's friend, Taylor Shack. "It's just really rough and her Mom's here. She's so strong."

Armond worked at 24 Hour Fitness and was hoping to get into law enforcement, like her father, in some capacity, friends said.

Armond had never gone missing before, police said, calling her "very dependable."

Mourners were expected to attend a candlelight vigil for Armond near where she was found, at 5th Street and Silvera Avenue at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to call them at 562-570-7132.

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