Body Found in Delta Mendota Canal in Merced County
Merced County, CA — Authorities discovered a woman’s body Sunday morning in the Delta Mendota Canal near Whitworth and Cottonwood roads, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The recovery site is roughly seven miles from an early-morning off-road vehicle accident on January 28, 2026, in which four people crashed into the canal while riding a dune buggy. One female passenger, believed to be 21-year-old Stockton mother Lupita Ontiveros, had been missing since the incident.
“The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident, and the Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search for the missing person,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “While investigators are hopeful that Lupita Ontiveros has been located, the identity of the decedent cannot be confirmed at this time.”
Positive identification will be made by the Merced County Coroner’s Office, and the family will be notified before the public release of the person’s name.
At the time of the crash, the driver and two other passengers escaped the canal. The driver allegedly fled the scene but was later arrested. Search efforts had been hampered by murky waters and strong currents, officials said.