Authorities in Baja California Sur recovered the body of a 21-year-old man on the shoreline near Puerto San Carlos on Tuesday afternoon, June 3. The young man had been reported missing in the days before his body was discovered near Varadero de Don Chino, within the Tlaquepaque estuary in the municipality of Comondú.
The body showed serious injuries to the head and neck. A forensic examination determined the cause of death as cervical spine dislocation combined with traumatic brain injury, according to the Baja California Sur State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE, or Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado).
Death Estimated Two to Three Days Before Discovery
Preliminary analysis placed the time of death between 48 and 72 hours before the autopsy was performed. That window means the man likely died sometime between Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. The victim’s name has not been publicly released by authorities.
Municipal police officers were first to secure the scene along the coastal shoreline. Agents from the State Criminal Investigation Agency and forensic specialists then processed the area for physical evidence. The PGJE has opened a formal investigation to determine the full circumstances of the death.
Investigators Probing Possible Criminal Links
Authorities said they are examining whether the death is connected to any prior criminal activity. The nature of the injuries, specifically the cervical spine dislocation and head trauma, has prompted investigators to treat the case seriously. No arrests have been reported, and no suspects have been named.
Puerto San Carlos sits on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, about 60 kilometers west of Ciudad Constitución. The small port town of roughly 5,000 residents is best known among visitors as a prime whale-watching destination during the gray whale season from January through March. It also draws sportfishing enthusiasts year-round. The Tlaquepaque estuary area where the body was found is a relatively remote stretch of coastline south of the main port.
Comondú is one of the five municipalities in Baja California Sur and covers a large swath of the central part of the state. Violent crime in the municipality is far less common than in the Los Cabos or La Paz areas, though incidents do occur.
The PGJE has not provided a timeline for when further details about the investigation may be released.
This story is based on reporting by Colectivo Pericú.