Missing Los Banos man’s body found in Delta-Mendota Canal, sheriff’s investigators say

The body of a Los Banos man who was reported missing in August has been found dead, according to authorities.

At about 5 p.m. Friday, California Highway Patrol officers located a gold colored 1999 Honda Accord in the Delta-Mendota Canal northwest of Los Banos, according to a Merced County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Inside the vehicle, authorities located a deceased man later identified as 20-year-old Santana Rosales. According to the Los Banos Police Department, Rosales had been reported missing to authorities on Aug. 26.

Rosales was last seen by family members the night of Aug. 21, according to the release.

Merced County Sheriff’s Office investigators are in the early stages of an investigation which is being treated as a homicide, according to the release.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 209-385-7472.