Paraguayan soccer star Ivan Torres is mourning the loss of his estranged wife, Cristina “Vita” Aranda. The model and mother of three died at age 29.
Ivan, who plays for Club Olimpia, shared the news on his Instagram page on Monday, Jan. 31, with a matching statement on her fitness account.
The translated note reads, “One of Cristina’s priorities was to be close to her followers.” He invited fans to say “their last goodbye” to her by paying their respects at a funeral home in Asunción, Paraguay.
“Out of respect in this delicate moment, the entrance to the wake room will be exclusively for family and friends,” per the statement. “We appreciate your desire to accompany us in this delicate moment. We ask you to use the space on the ground floor to leave a dedication and pay tribute to Vita.”
According to reports published by the BBC and ABC, she was shot at a music festival in Paraguay on Sunday, Jan. 30, and later died of her injuries. In total, two people reportedly died and at least four more were wounded in the shooting at the Ja’umina Fest concert, which hosted thousands of people at the José Asunción Flores amphitheater.
Celebrity Deaths: 2022’s Fallen Stars
Director of the Cordillera police department Benicio Ramírez told reporters that authorities presume she was not the “target,” saying, “The lady was [nearby] waiting for her husband,” according to a translation from the BBC report. Minister of the Interior Arnaldo Guizzio added that they are trying to determine a motive.
While Cristina was known to her 520,000 Instagram followers as @vitaaranda, she clearly cherished her role of mom as well. In recent weeks, she shared a cuddly photo with her son and captioned it in Spanish, “The most beautiful hug in the world.” She also celebrated New Year’s 2022 with her three kids, writing in a translated caption, “My reason to be.”
Last month, Cristina announced that she and Ivan were getting a divorce. “First of all, my personal life has always been closely related to my professional life,” she said in a translated statement. “I have decided to divorce [and] continue with my life alone. I will NOT explain the reasons and I hope you respect that decision all for the care that my family deserves.”
She added, “I ask for empathy and understanding. I understand that this information could cause interest but I ask you to respect me and my children.”
Tributes have already come pouring in amid news of her passing. Fellow influencer Antonella Matterazzi wrote in Spanish, “it hurts a lot! how unfair this is for God’s sake… fly high princess!!! We are going to remember you as what you were and are: an angel, wife and exemplary mother!!”
Meanwhile, singer Marcos Yaroide told Ivan, “Many strength my dear for you and yours.”
