The body of a 33-year-old Jersey City kindergarten teacher was found Tuesday during a police welfare check.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the body of Luz Hernandez, who was a mother to three children and who taught at BelovED Charter School, was found buried in “what appeared to be a shallow grave,” Fox News reported Thursday.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement:

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, the Jersey City Police Department conducted a welfare check on Van Home Street regarding a missing person’s report. The findings resulted in the Jersey City Police Department contacting the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for assistance. During the course of the investigation, the Homicide Unit located what appeared to be a shallow grave in the area of Central Avenue and Third Street in Kearny.

Her death is considered suspicious, therefore, the state Regional Medical Examiner’s Office is performing an autopsy.

Police are working to find a suspect in the case, CBS New York reported Wednesday. Video footage shows the home with a sign on the door that reads, “Do Not Enter, Crime Scene Unit.”

The victim’s brother told reporters the young mother was always happy, “She loved kids. She became a teacher because she loved being around kids.”

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers also reportedly found “blood splatters” on her apartment door while they investigated the area.

Her employer contacted officials when she did not appear for work on Monday, the prosecutor’s office noted.

Photos show a memorial that loved ones set up outside her home with balloons, flowers, and candles arranged near the front door:

Authorities are still investigating the woman’s death. No arrests have so far been made in the case.

“It hits very close to home. She’s my neighbor, and when I learned it, I sat in my car and I cried,” one resident told NBC News.

Her cousin said, “We love her. Her family, like, friends, we love her”:

“She was like, an amazing girl. Like, somebody takes away the life from her, like, why?” she questioned.

As crime continues plaguing the nation, White House officials in September tried to downplay President Joe Biden’s (D) responsibilities on the issue, deeming the problem “complicated,” Breitbart News reported at the time.