February 11, 2026 – Merced County Sheriff’s Office officials report that in the early morning hours of January 28, 2026, the California Highway Patrol requested assistance in locating a missing passenger following an RZR off-road vehicle crash into the Delta Mendota Canal. While the vehicle was recovered later that day, the missing passenger—believed at the time to be Lupita Lizbeth Zuniga-Ontiveros—was not immediately located.

Over the following days, multiple search efforts were conducted by air, land, and water by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, with additional assistance from family members and friends of the missing passenger. After eleven days, a body surfaced in the canal and was recovered and transported to the Merced County Coroner’s Office.

Related: Merced County Sheriff Reports Woman’s Body Recovered from Delta Mendota Canal

Tuesday, the Merced County Coroner’s Office has positively identified the decedent as 21-year-old Lupita Lizbeth Zuniga-Ontiveros.

Our thoughts are with Lupita’s family and loved ones during this tragic time.

Source: Merced County Sheriff’s Office