No foul play suspected in death of Boston woman hiking in Phoenix with cop she just met, say police
Despite the suspicious circumstances, Phoenix police said Monday there is no evidence of foul play in the death of a Boston woman who died last week while hiking in the area with a local off-duty police officer she barely knew.
Angela Tramonte, 31, died Friday while hiking Camelback Mountain in temperatures as high as 104°, according to local officials.
Tramonte, who had flown in from Boston a day earlier, was hiking with Dario Dizdar, a Phoenix police officer, who she knew through social media, according to friends. Around 1 p.m., Dizdar called 911 to report Tramonte missing, saying they had separated and he couldn’t find her.
According to Dizdar, the two had begun their hike around 10 a.m., but had failed to bring any water. When Tramonte became overheated, she allegedly turned back, but asked Dizdar to “continue to the top to take pictures so that she could share them on her social media,” according to the Phoenix Police Department.
The pair agreed to meet back at the car, but Tramonte never made it back.
Around 4:40 p.m., search and rescue teams, including 30 fire personnel and a helicopter, found Tramonte near the Echo Canyon Trail and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An official cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Phoenix police identified Dizdar as a “witness” and said he was cooperating with the investigation.
But friends have questioned the details of Tramonte’s death.
“She supposedly walked back down the mountain ALONE to the car while this man continued on by himself. He clearly has no regard for her safety,” Melissa Buttaro wrote in a GoFundMe.
“Angela lived a very healthy, active lifestyle. She woke up early every morning to go the gym. She did weekly meal planning and was obsessed with drinking water. She also loved walking her dog Dolce every day. There are many inconsistencies in the timeline and facts that just don’t make any sense.”
Another friend, Stacey Gerardi, similarly questioned why Dizdar would have just left Tramonte behind if she was having medical issues.
“As a cop, as a first responder, you’re supposed to help people. If somebody’s walking up a mountain and you’re seeing her in distress and she’s not feeling well and she’s exhausted — why wouldn’t you walk her back down,” she told WBZ4. “Why would you continue to walk back up? It doesn’t make sense.”
