A burned body recovered in the Mount Wilson wildfire area has been identified by coroner’s officials as Matthew Huerta, the Sylmar teen who was reported missing by family members last week.
Huerta disappeared Oct. 17, the same day a brush fire charred 50 acres in the area.
Friends searching for Huerta used the Find My Friends app to trace his phone to the mountains above Pasadena but were unable to access the area as crews were battling the fire.
A man’s body was later discovered and has been determined to be that of Huerta by Los Angeles County coroner’s officials, a Los Angeles Police Department news release confirmed Tuesday.
Shortly after Huerta’s disappearance, relatives indicated they had found a note stating he was experiencing depression and was thinking of hurting himself.
Huerta was the youngest of six siblings and had just started college at Cal State Northridge University, his sister told KTLA.