Sad news for the local restaurant community today. NoraNori Amaya, co-owner of popular U Street restaurant Coppi’s Organic, was found dead Monday night in her apartment in the 3600 block of 16th Street NW, NBCWashington.com is reporting. A call to Coppi’s this afternoon confirmed the news, though a restaurant spokesperson declined to comment any further at this time.
D.C. police said they are waiting on a determination on cause of death from the medical examiner’s office.
Amaya co-owned Coppi’s with her brother, Carlos Amaya. She was 38.
UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: Amaya’s Facebook page provides some eerie evidence of her demise. At 8:57 p.m. on Friday night, she updated with a reminder about a performance scheduled for Sunday night at Coppi’s: “Rumba Flamenca !!!! and the EXOTIC Belly Dancers !!!!! This Sunday !!!,” she wrote. Then there’s nothing on her wall until earlier today, when news of her death first broke, and friends and loved ones began posting heartfelt messages about the loss of Amaya.
The Post is now reporting that Amaya’s death is being treated as a homicide by D.C. police, pending autopsy results.
