A missing person report may be the key to identifying a body found inside an SUV that was discovered submerged in a Miami-Dade canal.
Nelson Ruiz, 50, was last seen on January 9, and authorities say the Honda Pilot found Thursday is related to his case.
A water management crew was cleaning a canal off Okeechobee Road near Krome Avenue when they spotted the SUV upside down in the water, then immediately called police.
According to the report Ruiz lived with his elderly mother in Hialeah, caring for her needs and her daily medication. It said he would not leave without notifying his sister.
Authorities towed the SUV, with the body inside, to the medical examiners office. Investigators there will confirm the identification and determine a cause of death.
