-Editorial
A 17-year-old juvenile was found deceased Wednesday morning after being reported missing the previous evening, according to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO).
The incident began on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at approximately 8:09 p.m., when the ICSO Dispatch Center received a report of a missing teen in the Vista Del Mar area of Salton City. The juvenile was last seen at 2:00 p.m., exiting a school bus at Nile Road and Camino Road. Concerned when he did not return home from school, his family contacted authorities.
Deputies from the Salton City Substation responded immediately and filed a missing person’s report, entering the juvenile’s information into the National Missing Persons Database. In an effort to locate him, deputies requested emergency phone pings, which returned a low accuracy reading, complicating the search efforts.
As the search intensified, the De Anza Search and Rescue Unit and Aero Squadron were deployed, and a “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) alert was issued to allied agencies. Deputies also utilized drones in daylight hours to expand the search area.
On March 26, at approximately 8:14 a.m., the juvenile was found unresponsive in a desert area near Service Road and Harbor Road in Vista Del Mar. Deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, but the juvenile was pronounced deceased upon arrival.
The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit, Scientific Investigations Unit, and Coroner’s Unit are conducting an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Authorities have stated that there is no threat to public safety at this time.
The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office extended condolences to the juvenile’s family and all those affected by the tragedy.
