Gustavo Rodriguez Rangel was found deceased in Kessler Park, Bloomington, California, on January 29, 2017. Initially, the identity of the body was unknown until a breakthrough came on October 1, 2020. The California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory identified a DNA match to the name Enrique Pantoga Castro. Further investigations revealed that Enrique Pantoga Castro was an alias. It was through fingerprint analysis that the decedent was correctly identified as Gustavo Rodriguez Rangel.
Despite the identification, attempts to locate Rangel's family both in the United States and Mexico proved fruitless. Numerous letters sent to associated addresses yielded no response until October 11, 2023. It was on this date that two sisters, responding to a letter mailed years earlier and discovered at another sibling's home, visited the Coroner's office. During their visit, they disclosed that Rangel had two adult sons residing in Washington State. Unfortunately, they were unable to provide the names of these children or their mother, leaving the authorities without leads in connecting with Rangel's immediate family.
Efforts to contact Rangel's sons have thus far been unsuccessful, leaving his remains unclaimed with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department- Coroner Division. The Coroner's office continues to seek connections with any family members who may wish to claim Rangel's remains, urging potential relatives or anyone with pertinent information to come forward. Despite the challenges encountered, the agency remains committed to closing this chapter respectfully and providing closure to the family. Any information or assistance is being solicited through the Coroner Division, with contact details available for those who may hold answers to Rangel's familial connections.
Date Found: 01/29/2017
