UPDATED: RIVERSIDE: Body found floating in Fairmount Park’s Lake Evans

UPDATE: Jan. 15 2:30 a.m.

RIVERSIDE – City of Riverside police officials have provided additional information about a body found floating in a Lake Evans retaining pond at Fairmount Park in the city of Riverside.

The body was discovered Saturday morning, Jan. 14, “along the north shore of Lake Evans,” an official said in a press release from the department.

“The preliminary investigation was unable to determine a cause of death and there were no obvious signs of foul play present,” the official explained. “The body was fully-clothed and appears to be of a white male adult.”

“At this time, the identity and age of the subject has not been determined and any further details are pending the Coroner’s investigation,” the official said.

A detective from the Robbery-Homicide Unit responded and was assisted by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office.

The investigation is active and ongoing and anyone with information regarding this investigation should contact Riverside Police Detective Rick Cobb at (951) 353-7135. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

ORIGINAL STORY

RIVERSIDE – Officials have confirmed the discovery of a body, found floating in a Lake Evans retaining pond at Fairmount Park in the city of Riverside Saturday, Jan. 14.

The body was discovered by a park visitor about 10:17 a.m., according to police officials. The victim from today’s discovery has not yet been identified.

This was the second major incident to happen at Riverside’s Lake Evans in the last eight days. On Friday, Jan. 6, Fairmount Park was the site of police activity after an explosive device was found inside a trash can near the lake’s boathouse.

The explosive device was found after a park visitor heard an explosion from the boathouse trashcan. Investigating Bomb Squad members from the City of Riverside Police Department’s Technical Services Unit later confirmed finding a “destructive device” inside the trash can.

Today’s investigation began after City of Riverside Police and Fire Department’s were dispatched to the park after a person called 911 to report finding the fully-clothed body floating in the water.

When City of Riverside firefighters arrived they confirmed the person found in the water was already deceased.

“Juicy” Ramirez, who described herself as homeless, said she resides in a river-bottom encampment near the park. Ramirez said she spends most days in and around the park.

Ramirez described waking to people she lives with in her camp already discussing all the activity at the park Saturday morning.

“The body had already been found when I woke up and everyone at my campsite was talking about it,” Ramirez explained. “By the time I walked up to the park, cops and firefighters were all over the place, but not much was happening.”

“From where I was, I could see what looked like someone floating in the lake. They hadn’t gotten the body out of the water yet,” Ramirez said. “I watched all the activity for a while and asked around if anyone knew who the person was, but nobody knew anything.”

“After the bomb exploded at the lake last week, nobody from our camp wants to go to the park alone anymore,” Ramirez stated, including, “But we usually don’t get many problems at the park.”

The victim’s body was removed from the pond about 1:15 p.m., according to Ramirez and other witnesses at the scene.

Officials have not released if the body found was that of a male or female, pending a coroner’s autopsy, identification, and notification of the victim’s family.

Officials have also not specified the victim’s manner of death or if the incident is being investigated as a homicide, stating that their investigation is in its “preliminary stages” and that officials have no reason to suspect foul play yet.

 

This is an developing story. Updated information will be provided as it becomes available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.