A body found this week in Joshua Tree National Park was that of a 20-year-old Oceanside resident who disappeared during an outing in the arid nature preserve two weekends ago, authorities reported Thursday.
Search-and-rescue personnel looking for Joseph Alvarez Espinosa in rugged desert terrain southeast of Twentynine Palms Highway in Wonder Valley discovered his remains shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
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Espinosa had been missing since May 16, when his grandmother dropped him off for a hike in the national park, the agency reported. A ruling on the cause of his death was on hold pending postmortem examinations.
