Authorities have confirmed the identities of a father and daughter whose bodies were found in an Ohio river.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified them as Scarlibeth Garcia Montes and Oscar Garcia, according to a statement from the Dayton Police Department on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Their bodies were discovered in the Great Miami River near West Riverview Avenue and West Monument Avenue on Monday, Sept. 15. Crews were dispatched around 1:20 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a body in the water.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the Garcia family and ask the community to keep them in their thoughts and respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the Dayton Police Department said in its statement.
The girl’s mother told police that Garcia and his daughter were last seen around 5:45 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. A missing persons flyer was shared online the following day.
Police said they later found the family’s vehicle in a parking lot near a Code Credit Union. Nearby, investigators recovered the child’s shoes, socks, keys, a tablet, and a cell phone.
Garcia was 28 years old, and his daughter was 9, the Dayton Daily News reported. Their bodies were found after a 911 caller told authorities, “I’m walking across the bridge and I’m looking out at the water and I do believe it’s a body right here.”
The location matched the area where multiple agencies, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and local fire department dive teams, had searched for the pair on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.
