INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Family members were in mourning Monday after a 2-year-old girl’s body was found in a pond on Saturday.

Jerome Mandanda, the father of Anna Mandanda, expressed his shock in an interview at his home on the southwest side, near Southport Road and Interstate 69. The Marion County Coroner’s Office positively identified the body found as Anna Mandanda on Monday.

“She’s my lovely daughter. I believed in her. She was my friend, that’s all I can say.” 

The girl was first reported missing from the 6900 block of Governors Point Boulevard around 3 p.m. Saturday. Indianapolis authorities ended their search for her after a toddler’s body was found later that night in a pond near where she was last seen, from 50 to 70 feet from her house.

Jerome Mandanda said Monday, “I can’t believe it. Up to now, I’m broken.”

Anna’s father, an immigrant from Congo, says she was one of his five children; his only child born in America.

The family was frantic Saturday when they couldn’t find Anna in the house. Police were called, police dogs were sent, a drone went up, and a neighborhood search party began.

Neighbor Jim Rusler helped look for the girl. “It’s tragic. It’s horrible for any parent would have to go through something like that, to lose a loved one.”

Rusler says he will never forget the screams of the women when Anna’s body was pulled from the water.

In the front of the pond, neighbors hung balloons and left stuffed toys in remembrance of Anna.

Her funeral was set for Saturday.

Officer Tommy Thompson, a spokesman for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, said, “It’s a tragic incident with a family grieving that will never get a chance to say good-bye to that little girl.”

Investigators were continuing Monday to determine why and how the girl went missing. Anyone living in the Governors Pointe Boulevard area with security cameras or video doorbells was asked to check their footage for a child walking between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday.

Anyone with additional information was asked to contact the IMPD Missing Persons Unit at 317-327-6160.