By Khalida Sarwari
The body of an at-risk man who was reported missing two weeks ago in Santa Cruz County was found Monday at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Timothy Cates, 58, was reported missing on the evening of March 23 by the staff of Rose Acres Residential Care Facility, located at 6950 Rose Acres Lane in Felton.
On Monday afternoon, a family hiking along the San Lorenzo River near the park’s picnic area found human remains in the riverbed and immediately notified park rangers.
The coroner’s office identified the body as that of Cates.
According to the sheriff’s office, it was apparent his body had been in the river since the recent storms and was visible because of the receding river after the high rainfall.
Cates, who had a mental disability, had been living at the care facility for 10 years. On March 23, he went for a walk, as he often did, but failed to return home for dinner. A sheriff’s search and rescue team looked for him for four days.
The cause of Cates’ death has yet to be determined pending an autopsy examination later this week, but detectives have ruled out foul play.