Suburban teen found in trunk was shot

CLIFTON FORGE, Va. — Police say a South suburban teen found dead in the trunk of a North Carolina man’s car was an 18-year-old friend who was reported missing with him.

Clifton Forge Police Chief Barry Balser says 18-year-old Danielle Dennis-Towne of Steger died of a gunshot wound to the head. Balser told The Roanoke Times Wednesday that the medical examiner’s office identified Dennis-Towne from dental records.

Nineteen-year-old Enrico Luciano Mascaro of Nags Head, N.C., waived extradition during a brief court appearance on Tuesday. He will return to North Carolina to face a murder charge.

Police issued a nationwide alert for the pair after Mascaro’s family reported them missing on Friday and police found a suspicious scene near his Outer Banks home. Mascaro was arrested that night in Clifton Forge with Dennis-Towne’s body in his trunk.