Monterey County investigators have identified a body that was unearthed last week along the Pajaro River levee in North County.
PAJARO — Monterey County investigators have identified a body that was unearthed last week along the Pajaro River levee in North County.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Coroner division identified the decedent Monday as 36-year-old Jesus Alfonso Duarte Figueroa of Watsonville. Duarte Figueroa was previously reported as a missing person in Santa Cruz County and information from that report was used to identify him, according to a release from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Duarte Figueroa was located April 10 buried in the ground west of a bridge that connects the community of Pajaro and the city of Watsonville. Authorities had received information earlier that day that lead them to believe a body had been buried along the levee. Detectives were dispatched to the general area that had been described and discovered Duarte Figueroa there hours later.
Authorities then performed a post-mortem forensic examination on Monday that moved detectives to investigate the incident as a homicide.
Anyone with information that may be related to the incident is asked to contact Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Detective Arras Wilson at 831-597-1225. Detective Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy can also be contacted at 831-755-3773 or at 831-597-1228. Information can be provided anonymously.