The body found in the Santa Ynez River on Sunday has been identified as 14-year-old Alberto Rafael Cabrera Corona from Lompoc, who went missing a little more than a week ago, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday.
The teenager was reported missing to Lompoc Police on January 27 by his father, after his parents had not seen him since the day prior. Lompoc Police detectives later discovered that Cabrera Corona had been traveling in a car with two other individuals on the morning of January 28 when the car got stuck in mud. After abandoning the car at the far west end of town, the three started walking back to the city, but split up following disagreement about which way to go.
Cabrera Corona walked northbound by himself, while the others walked eastbound and made it back into town. Cabrera Corona did not return.
On February 1 and 2, Lompoc Police and the County Sheriff’s Office began conducting searches of the area where Cabrera Corona was last seen, but could not locate him or any sign of a crime scene.
Then this Sunday, February 5, the Lompoc Police Department responded to a report of a body found in the Santa Ynez riverbed. After searching the area in conjunction with a large team of first responders, the body was located in the river and recovered. On Monday, the Coroner’s Office identified the body as Cabrera Corona .
The cause and manner of death in the case are pending. Cabrera Corona’s family has set up a GoFundMe page.
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