St. Cloud Student, Andy Arriagada, Disappears with Rifle

startribune.com ^ | October 7, 2005 | startribune.com

[smartin]

Police in Sartell, Minn., are seeking the public's help in finding a St. Cloud State University freshman who has been missing since Monday.

Andrea Alejandra (Andy) Arriagada, 18, left her parents' home about 5:40 a.m. Monday, presumably to attend a Nordic ski team practice at 6:30 a.m. at the university. Police said she didn't take her purse but had a .22-caliber rifle she used for biathlon, a winter sport combining skiing and target shooting.

[smartin]

[twigs]

Another student missing in that region? If I lived up there, I think I would send my children out of the region to go to college. She's beautiful. I hope she's safe, but experience from the last several years there does not work in her favor. Whoever is preying on our young people there needs to be found. NOW!

[ExcursionGuy84]

Doy....She's a "spot-on" facial match for Christian Music artist Rachel Lampa.

And methinks that...unless she emptied all her box magazine(s) really quick...she's got a good chance of survival with a .22--savvy?

[smartin]

Yes, let's find her and stop the them!

[smartin]

Yep, I hope the rifle helps her defend herself if need be.

[Tax-chick]

What a pretty girl! I wonder if she had ammunition, or if she was going to pick it up at the school? It seems early for downhill skiing, even in Minnesota.

[grey_whiskers]

Not much downhill skiing in MN; one in Southern 'burbs of Minneapolis and some around Lake Superior (Duluth / North Shore).

Most MN is cross-country (Nordic) skiing;
yes, it is a bit early for snow there. Usually starts in November, and the Twin Cities often gets a major storm (1 foot or more) just about Thanksgiving.

Homesick for MN Cheers!

[smartin]

She's training for a biathlon in cross-country skiing and marksmanship.

http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?Web/page.mv+1+local+855932

[silverleaf]

My thoughts too...another victim of the upper midwest college kid serial killer? It doesn't sound good.

[magslinger]

Do you think she "went walkabout"? That's a possibility that had occured to me. There is a national forest about 100 miles from St. Paul, and likly state land where she could park and camp out for a while.

She'd had an arguement with her family about a phone bill, she might be trying to "show them". This scenario is most likely to have a good outcome, except for the waste of police resources.

[smartin]

I hope it's something like this.

[Uncle Miltie]

Gone squirrel hunting. She'll be fine (one hopes!)

[smartin]

Yes, one hopes.

[vikzilla]

It seems early for downhill skiing, even in Minnesota

The skiing is cross country in the biathalon. Training actually can be done on skis with wheels if need be. Very similar to roller blading.

[magslinger]

This sounds like a stunt a much younger Magslinger might have pulled. I know she's a girl, but if she does biathalon, she isn't what my daughter refers to as a "girly-girl". A few days alone in MN woods in October probably would leave her none the worse for wear.

I don't want that daughter to hear about this, I'd hate for her to get ideas.

[smartin]

Understandable :-)

[Tax-chick]

Thanks! (Everyone else, too.) I had Nordic confused with Alpine.

[smartin]

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_280095633.html

[smartin]

Her body was found over the weekend.

Prayers to her friends and family.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/state/minnesota/12855187.htm