Mother of woman found dead near area of deputy-involved-shooting speaks out
The mother of the woman whose remains were found charred near the same area where a Deputy-Involved Shooting took place earlier in the day speaks out.
On June 3 at around 3:30 a.m., a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy shot and killed David Ponce, 42, in the area of Lincoln Street and 66th Avenue. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Ponce was non-compliant and armed with an axe.
At around 5 p.m., Cal Fire crews returned to the area to extinguish smoldering debris at the scene of an earlier fire. While separating debris, the charred remains of a woman, identified as Brandy Kiehl, were found.
“She was a people person. Just happy,” said Sandie Kiehl, Brandy’s mother.
Sandie said her daughter had been living in Mecca was May 30. She recalls the last time she heard from Brandy.
“She goes, ‘Mom, I got to go to bed, I got work tomorrow.’ And I go, ‘okay honey, I love you. Call me tomorrow.’ She goes, ‘I’ll call ya’ and she never called,” Sandie said.
She received being told of her daughter’s death days later.
“We walked up to the front door and the Coquille police department was here and he told me he needed to talk to me and we needed to go inside and that’s all he had to say and I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Sandie recalled.
Sandie said there was only one identifiable mark on Brandy’s remains, a tribal tattoo the two had gotten together.
Authorities haven’t released more details on whether the two June 3rd incidents are related, however, workers at the nearby Galilee Center recognized her photograph and told us she used to come in there regularly to use the showers with her companion.
Sandie confirmed her companion’s name was David.
Sandie says they have to wait for DNA tests to come back before the body can be released. There is currently an online fundraiser to help bring Brandy’s body back home to Oregon. You can click here to donate.
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