Dona Ana County sheriff's investigators are interviewing friends and family of 17-year-old Lourin Peralta, after her skeletal remains were found in the Rio Grande, near the Picacho bridge.

Friends of Peralta say she was a well-liked student. "She was a happy person -- somebody that a lot of people got to know really good. I think a lot of people miss her," said James Ceballos, former Mayfield High School student.

Her parents reported her missing in July, after she allegedly ran away from home. Just three months later, boys playing in the shallow river stumbled upon a skull. Then, days later, recovery crews discovered more bones there in the weeds and in the water.

On Thursday, investigators confirmed Peralta's dental records matched the skeletal remains found.

Now, investigators say they will go back to the scene in hopes of recovering any more clues to help them determine how the former Mayfield student died.