Body Found on U.S. 101 During Search for Missing Willits Man

A 40-year-old man was found dead Tuesday morning, Aug. 18, along U.S. 101, where the family of a missing Willits man and a Mendocino County search team had both been searching.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office confirmed the death but said it was withholding the man's name pending notification of next of kin. It was not clear whether the family or the search team found the body.

The search centered on Jose "Johnny" Mandujano, 40, whom the Willits Police Department had listed as missing. Mandujano was driving home from the Reggae on the River festival when his 2007 silver Toyota Yaris crashed about half a mile north of the Empire Camp Rest Area on U.S. 101 in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 16.

A passerby reported the crash, and the California Highway Patrol responded, but Mandujano was not at the scene. His family later reported him missing, and Willits police issued a missing-persons bulletin with his name and photograph.

The family was searching for Mandujano when the Sheriff's Office deployed its Search and Rescue Team (SART) on Tuesday morning. The man was found a short time later.

The Sheriff's Office has not said whether it has determined the man's identity or released any details about the cause of death.

This story was based on interviews with Chief Brian Fay of the Willits Police Department, Captain Quincy Cromer of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol personnel.