Candlelight vigil tonight for drowning victim

There will be a candlelight vigil tonight for the Whitefish woman who was found dead in Kalispell Wednesday.

Alex Nicole Beltran, 23, was found inside her Toyota RAV4 in a pond at the residence of a Kalispell couple.

Beltran’s aunt, Gidget Giannola, said the vigil will be held at 9 p.m. at 854 12th Avenue West.

“We’re glad she was found,”Giannola said. “It wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for, but we know what happened.”

Giannola said the family has appreciated the support they received from the Flathead community.

“We want to thank everybody. This whole county has been so supportive. We’ve received messages from people all over the world and it has meant a great deal to us,” Giannola said.

According to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry, the preliminary cause of Beltran’s death was drowning. An autopsy was held Thursday at the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula.

The Sheriff’s Office investigation continues, pending toxicology results. Curry said those take two to three weeks.

He also said there was no trauma to Beltran’s body nor any suspicious circumstances.

The Sheriff’s Dive Team recovered her from the pond Wednesday morning after receiving a call from the property owner, Kalispell resident Chris Zarcone. He noticed something in the pond while out in his yard and decided to call.

Curry said it appeared the vehicle traveled down the driveway, across a lawn and into the water.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.