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Family of Florida mom missing since 2014 reacts after discovery of woman's minivan in retention pond

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Published  January 2, 2025 10:37pm EST
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando

Family of missing woman reacts after remains, minivan found

A minivan belonging to Katya Belaya, a Melbourne woman missing since 2014, was found in a retention pond near her home with her remains inside.

The Brief

    • Katya Belaya, missing since 2014, was found this year in her minivan submerged in a pond just 1.6 miles from her home, ending a decade-long search.
    • The search was reignited by social media posts from Belaya's daughters, which led to assistance from Sunshine State Sonar and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
    • While the discovery provides some closure, the family now faces new questions about how the vehicle ended up underwater and upside down.

VIERA, Fla. - A Florida family is finally getting answers nearly a decade after Katya Belaya vanished in September 2014. 

Belaya, a mother of three, left home to go to the store and was never seen again. Her daughters spent 10 years searching for any trace of her, using social media to keep her story alive.

"It wasn't like a norm for her to just kind of go and disappear for a couple of days or anything like that," said Belaya's daughter, Sasha. "I think we all just went into a state of shock," added Sasha's sister, Sonja.  

RELATED: Missing Florida woman's remains, submerged minivan found a decade after her disappearance

The last ten years have been difficult for the whole family.

"I remember expecting a call and finding her or her showing up, you know, or something like that," Sasha explained.  

This year, their posts caught the attention of Sunshine State Sonar, a search-and-recovery team. 

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Working with information from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, including cell phone data from the night Belaya disappeared, the team located her minivan submerged 24 feet deep in a retention pond just 1.6 miles from her home. Inside the vehicle were Belaya’s remains.

"This is probably one of the most heartbreaking cases that we've ever worked for, and it is extremely rewarding for us to be able to provide these families with answers," said Sunshine State Sonar's Mike Sullivan.

"We're we're in complete shock, just at this moment, that ten years and 84 days later that she was found less than two miles from where we grew up," Sonya said. 

While the discovery brings some closure, the family now faces new questions. 

"I think there's just a lot of big questions around how it [the minivan] ended up underwater. How did it end up upside down? Which is also strange, you know? And it's it's difficult to not let your mind wander," said Sonya.

Authorities continue to investigate.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Sunshine State Sonar, and the family of Katya Belaya.

Brevard CountyMelbourneMissing Persons