Juan Sarat Lopez,3 Hikers Found Dead on Mt. Baldy Identified
Coroner’s officials have released the identities of three hikers whose lives were tragically lost on Mt. Baldy last week. The men were discovered at the base of the perilous Devil’s Backbone Trail on December 29th.
The victims have been identified as 19-year-old Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova of Seal Beach, and Juan Sarat Lopez, 37, and Bayron Pedro Ramos Garvia, 36, both Guatemalan nationals residing in Los Angeles.
The incident began when fellow hikers reported that Casanova had fallen approximately 500 feet down the mountainside just after 11:30 a.m. His two companions managed to reach a spot with cell service to call for help, initiating a large-scale search and rescue operation involving ground teams and a helicopter.
During the aerial search, rescuers made a heartbreaking discovery: the helicopter crew spotted Casanova and two additional, unreported men. High winds severely hampered rescue efforts throughout the day. It was not until about 7:30 p.m. that a helicopter crew could hoist a medic to the remote scene. All three individuals were confirmed deceased, turning the mission into a recovery operation.
Casanova’s grieving family issued a statement remembering him as “an incredibly sweet and empathetic young man.” A Los Alamitos High School graduate and a freshman at Santa Clara University’s business school, he was described as an avid sailor and outdoorsman. “We are destroyed by the loss of our beloved Marcus,” the family wrote, requesting privacy as they navigate this profound tragedy. The community now mourns the loss of these three individuals.
