Update: The 17-year-old boy arrested in connection with the death of Sunshine Stewart has been charged with one count of murder. Read the story: Teen charged with murder in paddleboarder’s death in Union

A 17-year-old male has been arrested in connection with the death of a paddleboarder who was found near Crawford Pond in Union on July 3.

The teen was taken into custody Wednesday night in Union and brought to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, the Maine State Police said on Thursday. Sunshine Stewart, 48, of Tenants Harbor died from strangulation and blunt force trauma, police have said.

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss did not say if the teen knew Stewart and would not disclose where he lives because it is “an identifying factor.” State law typically shields juvenile information unless felony-level charges are filed.

Moss referred questions about what charges the teen faces to the Office of the Maine Attorney General. A spokesperson for that office would not answer questions about charges, where the teen is from or when he will appear in court.

“Family and friends knew justice for Sunny was on the horizon, and hopefully that will come to bear,” her friend, Bruce Twyon, said in a phone call Thursday. “We are all very appreciative of the effort of Maine law enforcement.”

“It sounds like another family is going to be forever affected by this as well,” Twyon said, referring to the family of the arrested juvenile. “It’s not good for anybody.”

Stewart was reported missing after she did not return from paddleboarding on Crawford Pond in Knox County. Her body was found a few hours after a search was launched from Mic Mac Cove Family Campground on the north side of the pond.

Stewart planned to spend the summer at the campground and arrived a few days before her death, police said.

After announcing her body had been found, police asked the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police. They later set up a tip line. Anyone with information is still encouraged to contact state police at 207-624-7076 or by texting MESPTIP to 847411.

In the days after Stewart’s death, state police addressed “the fear and discomfort that this incident has brought to the town of Union and the Crawford Pond community.” In a Facebook post, state police said they were “steadfast” in their efforts to investigate her death.

“Detectives from Major Crimes Unit Central have been reviewing all leads pushed through our tip line and continue to follow every investigative and forensic avenue,” the post said. “We have also been working with the owners of the nearby campground, who have been cooperative and willing to assist and help with the ongoing investigation.”

Last week, Moss said that officers had been receiving tips but declined to say how many.

This is the second recent homicide in the central Maine area involving a teenage suspect. A 16-year-old was arrested last month and charged with killing Christopher Hunnewell and Tyler Carter Hunnewell on June 11 in Chelsea.

Friends called Stewart a tough and capable person who loved the outdoors and the ocean. They described her as a talented craftsperson who fixed up old Maine homes, including her own.

Stewart went to Union Elementary School and later attended Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Later in life, she became a sailor in St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We knew Sunny very well here in St. John’s, in the Virgin Islands,” her friend, Twyon, said. He has described her as a kindhearted person who was “a little tough on the outside,” but a friend for life.

A GoFundMe set up by Stewart’s family had raised more than $33,000 by Thursday afternoon.

Twyon said he knew people in the Union community were fearful, with little information coming from the Maine State Police. However, as a retired New Hampshire state trooper, he understands that disclosing too much information publicly could jeopardize an investigation.

He said the arrest is a step toward closure for him and Stewart’s friends and family members.

“But it doesn’t bring Sunny back,” he said. “We’re all going to miss her.”