Body Found in Oakland Could be Missing Castro Valley Man

Authorities believe that a body found in a yard waste container in East Oakland Thursday night may be that of a missing Castro Valley man. 

According to the Daily Review, the man’s body was found by gardeners in a waste bin behind a house on 81st Avenue at around 7:40 p.m.

Authorities say that it may be 37-year-old Santiago Steve Ornelas, who has been missing since 11 p.m. on April 5 after a car accident at 82nd Avenue, near where his body was found.

Police say Ornelas walked away from the accident and was bleeding from his arm. He may have also suffered a head injury.

Ornelas, who was on parole for a 2008 home invasion robbery in Newark, was with a friend in a car that was being chased by CHP the night he was last seen, according to the Daily Review.

The Daily Review reports that Santiago Reina is the man believed to have been with Ornelas that night.

Reina, 33, also a parolee, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading police and resisting arrest, among other charges.

Family members told the Daily Review that they had searched for Ornelas following the accident and had even received a Facebook message from a stranger on April 11 telling them to check for Ornelas on the 1000 block of 81st Avenue.

Read the full Daily Review report here.