Missing Winters Man May Have Been Found Dead
WINTERS, Calif. (CBS13) -- The search for a man who disappeared near a Yolo County creek last month may have come to an end when family members made a gruesome discovery Sunday.
After more than two weeks of searching on their own, the family of 49-year-old Jesus Lopez found a body in Putah Creek.
Winters Police officers and Yolo County search and rescue crew members retrieved the body Sunday evening, but even though an official identification has not yet been made, authorities say it's likely the remains belong to Lopez.
"At this point, with this information, it appears to be so," said Winters Police Lt. Sergio Gutierrez.
Lopez was last seen near Putah Creek last month on December 27, and authorities found his baseball cap on a steep embankment.
Lopez's family members had searched parts of the creek themselves since his disappearance, and many of them stood by as rescue crews brought the body out of the frigid creek and into the county coroner's custody Sunday.
"He was a good worker, good uncle, nice person," said Martha Lopez-Cervantes.
Authorities say there is no indication Lopez fell victim to foul play, but the exact cause of death has still not been determined by the coroner.
Lopez worked at a migrant camp near Winters for the past 13 years.
