Human Remains Identified as Missing 17-Year-Old T'neya Tovar

Imperial County Sheriff’s investigators have confirmed that human remains found in late December belong to 17-year-old T'neya Tovar, who was reported missing earlier that month.

According to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, deputies from the Salton Sea Substation were dispatched on December 21 to the area of Portsmouth Avenue and New Haven Court after reports of human remains being discovered.

Over the following weeks, the Coroner’s Unit and Investigations Division worked alongside other agencies to analyze DNA evidence. Authorities say a portion of the remains, identified as a human leg, was matched to Tovar after a DNA swab was collected from her mother. The results confirmed a positive match.

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities say additional details will be released as they become available.