The body of a 15-year-old male who went missing July 23 in Watsonville in the Laken area off of Holohan Road was found in the waters of College Lake over the weekend.
Nicholas Magana-Zamora was last seen around 11am on July 23 after leaving his residence.
About dozen search and rescue members joined numerous Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies at a command post set up on Grimmer Lane to launch a large-scale search-and-rescue operation after Nicholas’s belongings were found on a dirt road in the remote agricultural setting.
In a press release Wednesday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office (SCCSO) said that official identification is pending, but that preliminary indications lead investigators to believe the body is the missing juvenile.
“The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family of the decedent during
this heartbreaking time,” the press release says.
In a GoFundMe page set up to help defray funeral costs, Nicholas’s family confirmed that he has died.
He would have turned 16 on Aug. 8, the family said.
He is survived by his mother Angelica Zamora and siblings Leo, 12, Kamila, 10, Danilo, 6 and Santiago, 1. He attended Watsonville High School and graduated from Moreland Notre Dame Middle School.
His family describes him as someone who was intelligent and knowledgeable and liked deep conversations.
“He was loving and had the biggest heart and wouldn’t think twice to help anyone when they needed it,” the page reads.
“He enjoyed riding his bike, boxing, playing video games, fishing with his uncle Juan, listening to music, playing his guitar and was an animal lover,” the family wrote.
He also enjoyed building with Legos and playing with lightsabers with his little brother Leo.
According to the SCCSO, the following agencies, organizations, and community members helped in the search:
• Members of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team
• The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
• Kings County Sheriff’s Office
• Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office
• California Highway Patrol
• Watsonville Fire Department
• CAL OES
• American Red Cross
• California Rescue Dog Association
• WOOF
• Ken and Gabrielle Adelman
•••
This story has been updated from a previous version.
