AUTHORITIES SEARCH DESCANSO AREA AFTER 2ND BODY FOUND

February 21, 2011 (Descanso)-- Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Border Patrol agents and CalFire personnel responded to a call of a dead body in rural Descanso around 7:15 a.m. Authorities found a Hispanic man dead at the scene. He may have been with a group of illegal border crossers who entered the U.S. this weekend during sub-freezing temperatures.

A man hospitalized in San Diego has identified a woman found dead in the same area as his wife. He told authorities that members of the group became separated from each other near Descanso. U.S. Border Patrol agents are now searching the area for other potential victims, said Lt. Dennis Brugos with the Sheriff’s homicide detail.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to the latest victim’s body. A cause and manner of death, as well as a positive identification of the decedents will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office. According to the Medical Examiner, the male victim was a Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s.

Over 600 people have died crossing San Diego and Imperial County borders with Mexico since construction of the border fence. Nationally, deaths are estimated as high as 10,000 or more among border crossers since Operation Gatekeeper began.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS(8477).