Missing person's body found in Gilroy waterway

The body found in a waterway in unincorporated Gilroy has been positively identified as Gabriel Laradelara, a 21-year-old man from San Martin, who had been reported missing earlier this month.

On Sunday, December 15, 2024, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive person near Monterey Road at Rucker Avenue. Upon arrival they discovered a body floating in a waterway adjacent to the roadway. Laradelara was confirmed dead at the scene.

Detectives from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, along with Crime Scene Investigators and the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, are working to investigate the manner of death.

Laradelara had been reported missing on December 1, 2024. His family organized search efforts in the surrounding area, which ultimately led to the discovery of his body. Earlier, his 2003 black Infinity FX45 had been found abandoned on the side of Monterey Road near the location where his body was later found. 

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at 408-808-4500. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services tip line at 408-808-4431 or via email at [email protected].