San Joaquin County authorities are treating a late-night discovery along a Stockton waterway as a suspicious death after deputies found a deceased adult man near the shoreline in the 10400 block of North Rio Blanco Road on Monday night.
Deputies had been called out for a report of a person down in the water. When they arrived, they found the man near the bank, according to officials. His identity and how he died have not yet been released, and investigators are labeling the case as suspicious while they work to sort out what happened. The county medical examiner is in charge of confirming who the man is and determining the cause and manner of death as the investigation moves forward.
Scene details and initial response
Deputies responded to North Rio Blanco Road, south of Eight Mile Road, on Monday night and located the man near the shoreline, according to CBS Sacramento. The outlet reports that investigators have shared only limited information so far and that the Sheriff's Investigations Unit is leading the case. Authorities have not announced any arrests or released any suspect descriptions.
How to help investigators
In a Facebook post, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office asked anyone with information to call 209-468-4400 or submit an anonymous tip by texting SJSOTIP to 847411, per the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. The department said it plans to share updates as more details are confirmed.
What the coroner does next
The San Joaquin County Office of the Medical Examiner typically handles identification and autopsies in unexplained deaths and may need several days to finish tests required to determine cause and manner of death, the agency notes. As part of that work, the medical examiner is responsible for notifying next of kin, and officials say investigators coordinate closely with the coroner while the case remains open (San Joaquin County Office of the Medical Examiner).
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with tips or firsthand information about what happened along the shoreline to contact the sheriff's office using the numbers above.
