Search teams working through heavy monsoon conditions recovered multiple bodies in Santa Cruz County and Pima County over the course of two days, officials said. North of Nogales, three human remains were pulled from a wash after heavy rain and runoff; separately, the body of a Tucson man who had been reported missing was located in the Santa Cruz River south of Tucson.
Santa Cruz County Undersheriff Gerardo Castillo provided details on the recoveries near Interstate 19. He said the first body was recovered around 10 a.m. Friday near kilometer marker 22 just off I-19. The victim was described as an adult male who appeared to be in his mid-30s and approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall. Law enforcement personnel photographed tattoos on the body to aid in identification, and the Mexican Consulate was notified as part of the investigative and notification process.
Authorities said additional remains were found in the same general area the following morning. Around 8:40 a.m. Saturday, search teams located the body of a woman near the same portion of the wash, Castillo said. A third body also was recovered that day; at the time officials reported finding it, the sex of that person had not been immediately determined. All three individuals recovered from the wash were transported to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, where identification and cause of death determinations will be handled by forensic personnel.
Nogales Police officers first spotted two of the bodies while passing the Ruby Road and Rio Rico bridges in the wash on Thursday afternoon, during a period of heavy monsoon downpour. Multiple agencies participated in search and rescue operations in the area as crews worked to locate and recover the remains amid difficult weather conditions. Portions of Santa Cruz County received between 1 and 2.5 inches of rain Thursday and Friday, officials said, contributing to rapidly changing flows in washes and rivers.
In a separate but related incident near Tucson, the Pima County Sheriff's Department recovered the body of 29-year-old Ernesto Ojeda from the Santa Cruz River about 1 p.m. Saturday. Deputies had initially responded on Friday to a report that a man had been swept down Julian Wash at approximately 3:30 p.m., and they continued search efforts into Saturday, which led to the recovery of Ojeda's body not far from South Tucson.
Ojeda had been reported missing by his family after he was last seen near the wash on Friday, family members said, and their concern prompted law enforcement to mount the search. Officials noted in their release that Ojeda functions at the level of a 10-year-old, a detail provided by family to help characterize his vulnerabilities. Following recovery, Ojeda's body was taken to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, where investigators will complete formal identification and any necessary forensic examinations.
Investigators in both jurisdictions emphasized that multiple agencies were involved in the search and recovery operations, responding to both initial reports and to conditions created by the recent storms. Officials photographed identifying marks, notified appropriate consular authorities in at least one case, and moved recovered remains to the medical examiner to complete the next steps in identification and cause-of-death determination. Beyond those steps already taken, authorities have not released further identifying details for the victims recovered in the wash north of Nogales pending completion of the medical examiner's work and notifications to next of kin.
The recoveries highlight the hazards posed by sudden monsoon runoff in washes and river channels across southern Arizona. As investigators continue their work, local law enforcement and medical examiners will process the evidence, seek definitive identifications, and notify family members. Meanwhile, search-and-rescue units and allied agencies remain vigilant for further reports as spring and summer storm patterns continue to move through the region.
Pima County Sheriff's Department missing-person flyer showing the photo and case details for the Tucson man reported missing.
Authorities have urged caution near washes and river channels during and after heavy rains, and they continue to coordinate across county lines as recoveries and investigations proceed.