Crashed plane believed to be singer Jenni Rivera's found in Mexico; no survivors
BY PORFIRIO IBARRA & GALIA GARCIA-PALAFOX Associated Press
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/12 at 5:23 AM
MONTERREY, Mexico - The wreckage of a small plane believed to be carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera was found in northern Mexico on Sunday and there were no survivors, authorities said.
Transportation and Communications Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said "everything points toward" the wreckage belonging to the plane carrying Rivera and six other people to Toluca, outside Mexico City, from Monterrey, where the singer who has sold 15 million records had just given a concert.
"There is nothing recognizable, neither material nor human" in the wreckage found in the state of Nuevo Leon, Ruiz Esparza told the Televisa network. The impact was so powerful that the remains of the plane "are scattered over an area of 250 to 300 meters. It is almost unrecognizable."
No cause was given for the plane's crash, but its wreckage was found near the town of Iturbide in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental, where the terrain is very rough.
The Learjet 25, number N345MC, took off from Monterrey at 3:30 a.m. local time and was reported missing about 10 minutes later. It was registered to Starwood Management of Las Vegas, Nev., according to FAA records. It was built in 1969, the same year Rivera was born, and had a registration through 2015.
Media and celebrities in Mexico sent condolences to Rivera's family, but authorities still had not confirmed that she was aboard the plane and said there will be an investigation to identify the remains found.
"My friend! Why? There is no consolation. God, please help me!" said Mexican pop singer Paulina Rubio on her official Twitter account. Singing and soap opera star Lucero wrote on her Twitter account: "What horrible news! ... My deepest sympathies for her family and friends. Luz."
Also aboard the plane were her publicist, Arturo Rivera, her lawyer, makeup artist and the flight crew.
The 43-year-old Rivera who was born and raised in Long Beach, California, is one of the biggest stars of the Mexican regional style known as grupero music, which is influenced by the norteno, cumbia and ranchero styles.
The so-called "Diva de la Banda" was beloved by fans on both sides of the border for songs such as "De Contrabando" and "La Gran Senora."
Jenni Dolores Rivera Savedra was born on July 2, 1969, to Mexican parents who had migrated to the United States. Two of her five brothers, Lupillo and Juan Rivera, are also well-known singers of grupero music.
Although she studied business administration, her passion for music was always present.
She formally debuted on the music scene in 1995 with the release of her album "Chacalosa."
She recently won two Billboard Mexican Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year and Banda Album of the Year for "Joyas prestadas: Banda." She was nominated for the Latin Grammy in 2002, 2008 and 2011.
On Saturday night, Rivera had given a concert before thousands of fans in Monterrey. After the concert she gave a press conference during which she spoke of her emotional state following her recent divorce from former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who played for teams including the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The mother of five children and grandmother of two had announced in October that she was divorcing Loaiza after two years of marriage.
Original Print Headline: Crashed plane thought to be singer's found in Mexico
Associated Images:
Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during a March 8 interview in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities confirmed that the plane in which Rivera was traveling disappeared early Sunday after leaving the Mexican northern city of Monterrey where she performed in concert on Saturday night. Wreckage believed to be from that plane was found, and there were no survivors. Associated Press file
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