Canadian man arrested after death of Dawson Creek, B.C., woman at Mexican resort

A Canadian man is being held in connection with the death of a Dawson Creek, B.C., woman at a resort south of Cancun, Mexico.

Mexican prosecutors said the woman was found dead Friday at a hotel. The victim's family later confirmed that she was Kiara Agnew, 23, of Dawson Creek in northeast B.C. 

"I didn't want it to be true — I still don't want it to be true," Agnew's aunt Katlyn Levesque told CBC News. 

Prosecutors said the death occurred in the Mayan Riviera, the stretch of coast south of Cancun on the Caribbean Sea. Local media said it happened at a hotel in the resort town of Playa del Carmen.

A tweet from a Mexican police force stated that a foreign national is being investigated for the crime of femicide in a community within the Mayan Riviera. It is unclear if the man has a lawyer.

CBC News has contacted police in Mexico to confirm details about the suspect and the exact location of the hotel.

According to Levesque, Agnew grew up in the New Brunswick village of Plaster Rock and moved to Dawson Creek when she was a teenager. She was in Mexico with her boyfriend at the time of her death.

Agnew worked at the Lake View Credit Union, which has an office in Dawson Creek.

"All at Lake View Credit Union are mourning the loss of our teammate and friend, Kiara Agnew," a Facebook post from the credit union read. "We send our love and faith to all others who have been impacted."

'She was vibrant, courageous, driven'

A fundraiser run by Agnew's family to bring her body back to Canada had raised over $17,000 as of 1 p.m. PT Sunday. According to Agnew's aunt, the couple was in Mexico for a birthday celebration.

"Kiara loved to travel, she has wanted to travel since she's been little," Levesque said. "She was really excited about [the trip] ... she had a heart of gold. She was vibrant, courageous, driven."

Levesque says the family is still waiting for autopsy results to confirm the cause of Agnew's death. She last spoke to her niece — who was set to turn 24 on March 11 — on Thursday.

"She was an animal lover," Agnew's aunt recalled. "She's the kind of girl that would stop on the side of the road and need to rescue whatever animal's there — a bird, a cat, a baby raccoon, it wouldn't matter."

Levesque, who says she was very close to her niece, called her death "beyond tragic for every single person involved."

Global Affairs Canada said in a statement they are aware of the death of a Canadian citizen, as well as the detention of another Canadian in Mexico.

"Consular officials are providing consular assistance to the families and are in contact with local authorities," said spokesperson Marilyne Guèvremont. "Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed."