A woman from British Columbia, Canada celebrating her birthday in Mexico was found dead in her hotel. Her boyfriend, who was arrested in connection with her death, accompanied her on the trip.

Kiara Agnew, 23, was found dead in a laundry room at the Grand Sunset Princess Resort in Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun, on March 3. She and her 26-year-old boyfriend Ryan Friesen had only been there for a day.

After Agnew’s body was found in the hotel in the Xcalacoco neighborhood, Mexican authorities confirmed Friesen had been detained by police.

Global Affairs Office spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod said her team was helping both devastated families and had been in touch with Mexican authorities.

Katlyn Levesque, Agnew’s aunt, told the media that her niece was excited about her “dream vacation” to Mexico with her boyfriend because of her love of travel. She remembered the woman who had passed away as “driven, courageous, and vibrant.”

Levesque said that the autopsy results for her niece were still pending.

On March 11, the young woman would have turned 24.

Levesque claims that the Friesen family has communicated with the Agnew family, despite their refusal to speak with the media. Friesen’s loved ones suffered too, without knowing what had happened.

Friesen plays junior hockey and Agnew worked at a credit union in Dawson Creek, British Columbia where the two met. Levesque claimed that the couple had been dating for over a year and a half, and that Agnew had been anticipating their birthday trip to Mexico for months. She said that Agnew specifically requested a visit to the Mayan ruins.

In her final words to her niece, the aunt wished her niece a safe journey home.