Lauren Zhao
San Bernardino, California (Associated Press)-Authorities stated on October 28 that the human remains found in the Southern California desert in October have been identified as the remains of a New Jersey woman who went missing early last summer .
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that the coroner’s office confirmed that the body was 30-year-old Lauren Zhao.
“The cause and manner of death are subject to toxicological results,” it said. “No more information about the case will be released until the toxicology results are available and new information is discovered.”
The remains were found in the rugged open desert of the Yucca Valley about 100 miles east of Los Angeles on October 9.
Cho has been missing since the afternoon of June 28, when she was reported to have left a residence in her area.
Many searches were conducted in the Yucca Valley outside the northwest corner of Joshua Tree National Park.
