Body Found In Joshua Tree National Park ID'd As Missing Hiker

JOSHUA TREE, CA — Human remains found Wednesday in Joshua Tree National Park have been identified as those of a hiker who went missing May 16, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Department confirmed Friday.

The body of Joseph John Alvarez Espinosa, 20, of Oceanside was found around 10:55 a.m. in Wonder Valley, southeast of Ironage Road/Twentynine Palms Highway, within the National Park boundaries, according to the sheriff's department.

His cause of death has not been determined, and the case continues to be investigated by the National Parks Service and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The search for Espinosa began Sunday when park officials became aware he may be in the park, a National Park Service statement said Monday. A family member dropped Espinosa off for a hike on May 16 and he was last seen approximately 30 miles east of Twentynine Palms on State Route 62 as he walked south into the desert, the statement said.

Additionally, friends and family members had posted information about Espinosa's disappearance in the hopes that someone would recognize him.