Missing Valencia family's belongings found in NorCal river
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Personal items belonging to a missing Santa Clarita family have been located in a Northern California river where their car is believed to be submerged, authorities said.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol have been searching the Eel River for days for signs of the maroon Honda Pilot belonging to the Thottapilly family of Valencia.
MORE: Witness recalls SUV matching missing Valencia family's car flipping into Eel River
Authorities said they found "various personal items consistent with a family traveling on vacation" during the course of the two-day search. Relatives of the Thottapilly family positively identified the items as belongings of their family members, authorities said.
"These items were of a personal nature and will not be described further at this time, but it does confirm the fact the vehicle that was seen going into the river was that of the Thottapilly family," a joint press release from the rescue agencies involved said.
So far, authorities have not located the vehicle, but CHP officials found a possible car part belonging to a maroon Honda Pilot near the scene.
The family was scheduled to arrive to visit a friend in the San Jose area on April 6, but never showed up, authorities said. Sandeep, 42, Soumya, 38, Siddhant, 12, and Saachi, 9, were last seen in Klamath, in Del Norte County on April 5. They were reported missing on April 8.
A witness recalled seeing an SUV matching the description of a missing Valencia family's vehicle plunge into the Eel River in Northern California.
Pat Berkowitz said he saw the vehicle flip over into the river. "The next thing I know, it's on two wheels and I'm going by and it's flipping over," he said.
