A missing California man’s case has ended in tragedy after his body was discovered in a truck in the Russian River, officials said Saturday.
According to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, Clifford Souza, 74, left his home in Gualala on Wednesday, headed for Martinez, a drive of about 120 miles. He was supposed to return that evening, but when he failed to come home, he was reported missing at 4:15 a.m. Thursday. When sheriff’s deputies checked Souza’s cell phone activity, it tracked to Sonoma County. In addition, Souza was driving a 2021 Ford Ranger, which had FordPass, a tracking system that allowed them to figure out his general itinerary. This too located the pickup somewhere in Sonoma County.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office asked its counterparts in Sonoma County to be on the lookout for Souza or his gray truck. Sweeps of the highways, plus a California Highway Patrol helicopter search of Highway 1, yielded no new leads.
On Saturday afternoon, CHP’s Santa Rosa division received a call about a truck found “submerged” in the Russian River, the office said in a statement. The truck was discovered in the river near Highway 1 and State Route 116, near the town of Jenner. CHP’s initial investigation determined Souza “veered off the roadway and into the river.”
The crash is under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call CHP at 707-806-5600.
