BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Authorities have identified the man whose body was found in a wooded area south of Grand Rapids on Tuesday as 37-year-old Eulices Delarosa of Comstock Park. Delarosa had been missing for several days prior to the discovery.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office reported that Delarosa’s body was discovered at approximately 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, in a marshy, wooded area off Kenowa Avenue near 64th Street in Byron Township. Delarosa had last been seen alive on Saturday, according to law enforcement officials.
The investigation began on Sunday, when Delarosa’s vehicle was found abandoned in a driveway near 60th Street and Kenowa Avenue. Deputies traced the car to Delarosa’s mother, who confirmed the vehicle was his and noted that he often drove it. She speculated that he might have run out of gas or gone to a friend’s house, prompting a search for him.
At the time, authorities did not have any active missing person reports or evidence of suspicious circumstances. However, as days passed and Delarosa did not return, his family and friends grew increasingly concerned. On Tuesday, they began searching for him and discovered his body about a quarter of a mile from where his car had been left. Delarosa had the keys to the vehicle with him when his body was found.
A preliminary autopsy did not reveal a clear cause of death, and investigators are now awaiting the results of further examinations and toxicology tests. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office indicated that alcohol and weather conditions may have played a role in the death.
“We are working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding his death,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “At this time, there are no signs of foul play, but we continue to investigate all possibilities.”
The case remains under investigation, and authorities are hopeful that the toxicology report will provide more insight into what led to Delarosa’s tragic death.
