Crime & Safety

Police Identify Woman Found Dead in Swollen Patuxent River

The 26-year-old was pulled from the rising water Thursday in Maryland City.

Police have released the name of a woman found dead Thursday by the banks of the flood-enlarged Patuxent River in Maryland City.

The body of Anifa Kiwanuka, 26, was pulled from the water around 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of Laurel Fort Meade Road and Race Track Road, Anne Arundel County police said.

The river had climbed well above its normal level after heavy rains prompted the release of water upsteam from the T. Howard Duckett Dam.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Authorities were first notified of a body floating in the water by 911 caller, according to police. Firefighters, who were already nearby due to anticipated flooding, retrieved Kiwanuka from the water.

Police said Kiwanuka had no fixed address at the time of her death and that the low-lying area where she was discovered is a frequent encampment site for the homeless.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A witness told police they had advised Kiwanuka to move away from the river around 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. due to the rising water. The witness had then left the area.

The exact cause of Kiwanuka's death is set to be determined by Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.


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