‘They were always together’: Revere community mourns 3 women who were found dead on vacation

REVERE, Mass. — The community in Revere came together Tuesday night to honor three women who were found dead while on vacation in Belize.

Imane Mallah, Wafae El-Arar, and Kaoutar Naqqad grew up together in Revere. All three of them were found dead in their hotel room Saturday.

Destiny Borges-Kelley is devastated after learning about the deaths of three of her friends.

“I was just with them like last week,” said Destiny Borges-Kelley.

She says the girls were excited for their vacation in Belize to celebrate Wafae’s 26th birthday.

“One day I was with Wafae shopping for the trip, and she was just showing me what she was buying and getting her nails done, she would not stop talking about it,” said Borges-Kelley.

Hundreds of people came together Tuesday night for a vigil inside the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects Mosque in Revere. The three women all shared Moroccan heritage.

“It’s just amazing how the community has come out for them,” said Ira Novoselsky, a Revere City Councilor.

Police in Belize say the bodies of these three women were found inside their beachfront hotel room.

A local news report indicated gummies and alcohol were found in the room, and authorities there believe they died from an overdose.

“It’s hard to hear that when I know who they are, I know they wouldn’t do the things that people are saying they would,” said Borges-Kelley.

“We’re getting stonewalled, Belize people are just saying their side of the story, but I’m sure there’s more to it,” said Novoselsky.

Revere city leaders as well as the victims’ families want more answers as to how they died.

Councilor Novoselsky knew Kaoutar and lives next to her family.

“I was with them this morning, and I actually brought more chairs up for them because they had hundreds of people coming to their home,” said Novoselsky.

He says the girls were young professionals in the medical field and part of a tight-knit community now shattered by this devastating loss.

“They were always together,” said Borges-Kelley.

The mayor of Revere also says he’s pushing for more transparency on this case.

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