East County John Doe May Have Lake Cuyamaca Link

Police have renewed their call for the public's help in identifying a man in his 30s or 40s whose heavily tattooed body was found in a parking lot nearly 20 years ago.

All attempts to identify the man since October 1994 have been unsuccessful, according to El Cajon police Lt. Michael Moulton. But they say he might have been named Steve and could have family that lived outside Julian, near Lake Cuyamaca.

He is believed to have died from natural causes.

Police described him as white, around 5 feet 9 inches tall and 165 pounds. 

He had long brown hair with blond highlights, a short-trimmed light brown mustache and goatee, and appeared to have been 30 to 40 years old at the time of his death.

He was clad in a dark long-sleeved Air Jordan “Flight” T-shirt and blue jeans, but was previously seen on several occasions wearing long camouflage pants with no shirt, according to police, who believe he was likely homeless.

"He had numerous tattoos, some of which include: ‘Born to Win,’ a Harley Davidson logo with the phrase ‘Live to Ride, Ride to Live,’ a dagger with the words, ‘Death Before Dishonor,’ and the word, ‘Happiness.’”

Anyone with information about the man's identity was asked to call Investigator Frances Deck at (619) 441-1596 or El Cajon police at (619) 579- 3311. For more information on the case, see the police website.

– City News Service contributed to this report.