A 56-year-old man known to friends as “Stone” was living in Escondido in 2024 and was reported missing by his family in January 2025, then later found dead somewhere in northern San Diego County — but nearly 19 months later, investigators still won't say exactly when, where, or how Jorge Soares died. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is now publicly asking for the community's help determining the circumstances of his death.
Soares was reported missing by his family on January 13, 2025, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was later found dead in northern San Diego County, though officials have not specified when or where his body was discovered. Detectives with the Sheriff's Major Crimes Division say the circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown, and they're now turning to the public in hopes that someone can fill in the gaps.
Soares lived in Escondido as of 2024 but frequently traveled to the High Desert communities of Hesperia and Victorville in San Bernardino County. That travel between communities underscores the sprawling, multi-county scope of the case.
Who Was Jorge “Stone” Soares
Described in the missing-persons details as a 5-foot-9, 175-pound man with a shaved head, brown eyes, and a goatee, Soares also had tattoos on both of his arms and went by the nickname “Stone” among people who knew him. Those physical details remain part of the case file as investigators try to jog memories from anyone who may have encountered him during the period he was missing.
Sergeant Jacob Klepach of the Sheriff's Major Crimes Division has been designated as the official media contact for the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sheriff's Detective Aaron Bert directly at 858-285-6362.
How Tips And Rewards Could Move The Case Forward
San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case, and tipsters can submit information anonymously online at sdcrimestoppers.org or by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at 888-580-8477.
San Diego County Crime Stoppers reports that it has helped regional law enforcement solve more than 6,580 felony cases and make over 4,350 felony arrests through tips from the community, according to the organization's own figures. If the case remains unsolved and local leads dry up, the search for information may continue.
A Sprawling Jurisdiction, A Cross-County Puzzle
The Sheriff's Department's reach helps explain why a case like this can stretch across county lines and take years to resolve. The agency serves an area of over 4,500 square miles and nine contract cities. Detectives working Soares' case face a cross-county investigative challenge.
The investigation's structure also shapes how a case like this unfolds. The circumstances of Soares's death remain unknown.
For now, the fundamental questions in Soares' case remain open: where and when his body was found and what the circumstances of his death were. Investigators are hoping that renewed public attention, and the incentive of a Crime Stoppers reward, will bring forward the tip that finally closes the gap between his disappearance in January 2025 and Thursday's public appeal for answers.
