Young Woman Found Dead In Ocean

A woman found dead Tuesday in the ocean near Tajiguas Beach has been identified as 20-year-old Kayla Hallee of Mission Viejo. Her death is under investigation, said Sheriff’s spokesperson Kelly Hoover, and it’s unclear if she has any connection to an abandoned kayak found near Vista Point earlier in the morning. A toxicology report is pending.

Hallee’s body was spotted at around 2:15 p.m. by an area resident who called the U.S. Coast Guard for help, said Hoover. The Coast Guard’s Halibut cutter responded, retrieved the body, and turned the case over to the Santa Barbara Coroner’s Office. It’s not known why Hallee was in the Santa Barbara area, Hoover said. Her family has been notified of her death.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 681-4100.