The body of a young male found on an island in the Los Angeles River in Los Feliz may be that of a 14-year-old missing since Feb. 17, but authorities said it could take a few days to confirm the victim’s identity.
Neither police nor the coroner’s office would confirm to City News Service the body’s identity as that of young Elias Rodriguez of Sylmar.
The coroner is waiting for dental records to confirm if the body is Rodriguez and that could take a few days, coroner’s Lt. Larry Dietz said.
The Rodriguez family issued a statement Saturday saying they were awaiting “more information about the body found near the L.A. River” and asked for privacy.
Rodriguez went missing during a powerful rainstorm. Los Angeles police, who recently were joined by the FBI, along with family, friends and concerned members of the community have been searching the area he was last seen since his disappearance. A helicopter search of the Los Angeles River turned up nothing.
The body was found at 1:15 p.m. Saturday on the island near the Golden State Freeway and Los Feliz Boulevard, Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
“There is nothing more painful than the loss of a child, and the thoughts and prayers of all Angelenos are with the loved ones of Elias Rodriguez,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said Sunday. “Words cannot capture the agony that Elias’ grieving family has felt since his disappearance. I’ve asked my crisis response team, who have been with the family, to do everything possible to help them through what is surely their worst nightmare.”
Rodriguez was last seen leaving Cesar Chavez Learning Academies in San Fernando, according to the LAPD. He had borrowed someone’s cellphone to call his mother at work to ask if she could pick him up but she missed the call, police said.
The Los Angeles City Council offered a $50,000 reward for information that could help find the teen.
