Doña Ana County Sheriff’s investigators believe a body found in the desert in Chaparral Tuesday is likely that of a 66-year-old man whose children reported him missing last month.
The family of Hector Gardea notified the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department after they had not heard from their father in several days.
On April 10, an investigator assigned to the case discovered a vehicle matching the description of Gardea’s car in a desert area near his Chaparral home.
A body matching Gardea’s description was inside the car, and is believed to have been there for at least a couple of weeks.
Investigators do not have any information that leads them to suspect foul play. The body has been sent to the University of New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner for positive identification and a determination of the cause of death.