KTLA

Body of 20-year-old missing hiker found in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is seen in a file photo on Jan. 4, 2019. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

A body discovered in a remote area of Joshua Tree National Park was identified Thursday as that of a missing 20-year-old hiker, authorities said.

Searchers found the body of Joseph Alvarez Espinosa of Oceanside on Wednesday morning in the desert park, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.


The coroner’s office confirmed his identity but didn’t immediately release a cause of death.

Espinosa was last seen on May 16 when his grandmother dropped him off near the park, authorities said.