Goodyear woman found dead in desert after being reported missing

GOODYEAR, AZ — A missing Goodyear woman was found dead, after police say she got a flat tire while leaving work and decided to walk home in 112-degree heat on June 15.

Madison Dwight said her mother Angela had just finished a shift at Denny's near South Cotton Lane Road and County Route 85.

“She was driving home after working all day and she had a flat tire. She didn't have a spare tire or anything,” Madison said.

She said her mother texted: “Something like, please call a tow truck for me. I'll just go and find a way home.” Hours later, Angela never arrived home.

Goodyear police launched a helicopter, drones and K9 units, but did not find Angela as of June 15.

“It's not like my mother is disappearing. She loves her family very much,” her daughter said.

Angela's body was discovered the next day. Madison remembers what the detectives told her: “From what they understood, she followed the road to the bridge. She got to the bridge, then she tried to cross the field so she wouldn't have to go up. they are guessing.

The medical examiner's report has not been released, but the family believes the extreme heat simply overcame Angela.

“She worked eight hours in her hot kitchen and then got into a car that had no air conditioning, so she was probably tired and dehydrated,” Madison said.

Angela's daughter tells ABC15 she is sharing her story in hopes of preventing any more heat-related deaths in the future.

“As long as one person hears this and as tragic as it is…I want nothing more than for awareness to be raised about this situation. It's horrible and we're all really going through a tough time with this. .. I mean she was our rock, she was everything to us.