28-year-old mother identified as latest Montecito mudslide victim
MONTECITO, Calif. (KABC) -- The body of a missing mother was found in Montecito on Saturday, which has brought the death toll in the mudslides to 21 people.
The body of 28-year-old Faviola Benitez Calderon was recovered at about 10 a.m. Saturday by a human remains detection dog.
The 21st mudslide victim's body was found on the 100 block of Santo Tomas Lane near Olive Mill Road, above Coast Village Road.
RELATED: Names of Montecito mudslide victims released
The area is over a mile from Mary Beth Myers' home.
"The Benitez family, they were gardeners and housekeepers. This was not fancy Montecito, this was very much old-fashioned, working class," an emotional Myers said.
Nearly one third of those killed in the Jan. 9 mudslides were from immigrant families.
Myers shared a driveway with the Benitez family. She estimates that of the 24 people that lived around her, 11 perished.
Faviola's 10-year-old son, Jonathon Benitez, his cousin, 3-year-old Kailey Benitez, as well as Kailey's mother, 27-year-old Marilyn Ramos, also died in the devastating mudslides.
"Search and recovery teams, with the assistance of 16 Human Remains Detection dog teams, from throughout the state are working together this weekend in an effort to locate the missing victims and bring closure to their families," the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department said in a press release.
They are looking for two people who remain missing: 2-year-old Lydia Sutthithepa and 17-year-old Jack Cantin.
