The body found Saturday in the L.A. River was confirmed to be that of 14-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Sylmar, officials said on Tuesday.
Rodriguez’s body was recovered at 1:35 p.m. Saturday from the river, and the cause of death was drowning, said Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
During a heavy rainstorm on Feb. 17, Rodriguez — “Eli” as many knew him — went missing after leaving Cesar Chavez Learning Academies in San Fernando.
Previously, Deputy Chief Robert Green of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations-Valley Bureau said via text message the body was found in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles and was too battered for the parents to view on Saturday.
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.
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Brenda Gazzar and City News Service contributed to this report
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