GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — "She was everything to me," Mavi Garcia said on Monday, after the body of her only sister, 25-year-old Ruby, was found on US-131 late Friday night.
Ruby was found with what police described as "apparent gunshot wounds."
Now, family are remembering her as a beloved member of the family, they say, who would brighten up the room with her smile.
"I honestly don't have no words to explain how loved my sister was and the kind of person she was," Mavi said. "She was just that funny person, a loving person."
Mavi said Ruby loved plants—so much so that she worked at a local greenhouse.
"She was loved by us," Mavi said. "She was the best aunt to my daughter. She was so funny and kind."
Family also recounted the shock and disbelief they've felt since Ruby was found.
"I mean, no one wakes up and thinks like, 'Hey, this is going to happen to so-and-so, like, it just took us by surprise," Ruby's cousin Melissa Garcia said.
"She's just quiet and to herself," Melissa continued. "I just don't understand how or why something like that would happen to her."
The family says Ruby loved to travel, but they do plan to bury her here at home. They are currently in the process of finding a funeral home.
Michigan State Police said Sunday that they took a person of interest into custody. They have not yet released that person's identity.
"I was aware of this person," Mavi said. "Not sure what kind of relationship they had. Right now all we know is that he is a primary suspect. We don't know if he really did it, or what it is right now."
Steps at the family's home now show a picture of her smile, and candles sit on top of the steps from a vigil held in her memory the day after she was found.
"Appreciate your loved ones while they're here," Mavi said. "I know my sister never heard me say it enough that I loved her but she definitely knew. I know. She knew that. I loved her so much."
Her family, hoping they'll soon find answers, and justice, in Ruby's death.
MSP's latest update from Sunday night said that this remains an ongoing investigation.
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