Arrest made in the death of a ‘beloved’ kindergarten teacher found buried in a shallow grave, prosecutors say

(CNN) — An arrest has been made in the death of a New Jersey kindergarten teacher found buried in a shallow grave, prosecutors said.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest on Twitter early Friday but didn’t provide any further details about who was arrested.

The arrest comes after investigators found the body of 33-year-old Luz Hernandez on Tuesday, a day after she was reported missing to police in Jersey City, New Jersey, the prosecutor’s office said in a news release Wednesday.

Officers conducted a welfare check on Hernandez on Monday after she was reported missing. “The findings resulted in the Jersey City Police Department contacting the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for assistance,” the release said.

“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,” according to the release. “The body of a female was recovered a short time later and she was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:53 p.m.”

Prosecutors didn’t say who reported Hernandez missing and noted the cause and manner of her death were under investigation.

Hernandez was a popular kindergarten teacher at the BelovED Community Charter School in Jersey City, Bret Schundler, the school’s founder, told CNN Thursday. She started as a teacher’s assistant in 2017 and had worked her way up to become lead kindergarten teacher, he said.

Hernandez was a “beloved member of the BelovED community” who was loved by students and staff alike, Schundler said.

“Everyone is devastated,” Schundler said. “She was a wonderful person, and very much an important part of the community.”

The school closed on Wednesday and reopened on Thursday with additional counselors on site, Schundler said.

CNN is seeking comment from the Jersey City Police Department as well as the Kearny Police Department, which is assisting with the investigation.