CERES, Calif. —
The body of a 72-year-old Ceres woman was found in a Turlock canal, two months after she had gone missing, according to police.
The Ceres Police Department said the body was found on Saturday in a canal operated by the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) near Central Avenue and Keyes Road. The body was found by an employee who was conducting daily patrols.
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Police received confirmation Tuesday from the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office that the person was identified as Ajit Kaur.
Kaur was reported missing on Aug. 23 from the Casa Grande Apartment complex in the 3100 block of Whitmore Avenue. Her family previously said Kaur left her home but never returned.
Information received during the investigation led investigators to believe Kaur may have entered the canal, which is located east of the apartment complex. The canal runs parallel to Moore Road near Whitmore Avenue.
Throughout the investigation, police said there were extensive efforts to find Kaur and pursued available leads. Officers and detectives canvassed the area including canals through Ceres and tried to find surveillance footage to help determine her whereabouts.
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office also provided a K-9 that is trained to track and find missing people. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department Dive Unit used an underwater remote sonar drone to search the canals.
Investigators looked for possible water routes and worked with TID to better understand the canal system.
The case remains under investigation.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Berber at 209-538-5672.
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