The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office said Monday that the body found inside a submerged SUV Friday is that of Nelson Ruiz.
Ruiz, 50, was last seen on January 9. Ruiz lived with his elderly mother in Hialeah and helped her care for her needs and daily medication. Family members said he would not leave his mother without notifying his sister.
The submerged Honda Pilot was found in a canal off Okeechobee Road near Krome Avenue. A water management crew was cleaning the canal when it discovered the SUV. Police and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene and pulled the SUV from the canal.
It was taken to the medical examiner’s office, which made the identification of the body Monday.
