Authorities believe they have found the body of an 85-year-old Scripps Ranch man missing since June.
"We are deeply saddened but appreciate all of the help we received and are grateful that there is closure," said Sun's son, Chris Sen, in a statement Thursday night.
Hundreds of volunteers have been looking for Taiheng Sun since he was last seen on June 15. The man spoke little English and had Alzheimer's disease. His family said he was taking medication for depression.
Bob Ilko is the president of the Scripps Ranch Civic Association (SRCA). He has been organizing search parties since the day Sun disappeared.
"Mister Sun was a great, honorable man who did great things," said Ilko. "His memory can live longer, in more people, because we were able to bring some closure to the family."
In a statement, SRCA said:
"It is with heavy hearts that we share that police believe they have found Mr. Tai Sun, the 85-year-old man who went missing in June. The family has been notified and is awaiting medical verification prior to confirmation. According to the SDPD, he was found on East MCAS Miramar, about 3 miles south from where he was last seen at the entrance of Sycamore Park at the end of Stonebridge Parkway. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."
Local
On Thursday, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) notified local officials that they found human remains on the eastern edge of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Ilko told NBC 7 the family notified him as soon as they received the news.
"They may have found him. It’ll take about a month to verify the DNA and the dental records," said Ilko.
Though the body has not been identified, authorities believe it is the body of Sun, as the clothing found at the scene are consistent with what he wore before his disappearance. Sun was last seen wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, a white fleece windbreaker and dark-colored pants.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner will need to conduct forensic testing to positively identify the body.
Sun left his home on June 15 in Rancho Encantada and headed east on Stonebridge Parkway and Via Santa Pradera, police said. When he did not return from his walk, his family reported him missing.
The last time anyone saw Sun was at 8 a.m. that day, police said. Video surveillance caught him walking east on Stonebridge Parkway and entering Mission Trails Regional Park.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Missing Persons Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
