A Vista family's search for their missing loved one ended Thursday when an elderly man was found dead on a Carlsbad hiking trail, the family told Telemundo 20 on Friday.
Francisco Larios, 83, was last seen alive on Sunday morning at his family's home on Lado De Loma Drive, relatives said.
Carla Vargas said her grandfather was at the home around 6:30 a.m. before they left for church. When they came back home at around 8 a.m., he was gone.
Knowing he was without a phone, money or a wallet and was unable to speak due to a recent stroke, his family launched search parties in the hopes of finding him.
Search dogs working with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department picked up the man's scent at a Lowe's and on Thursday, the search focused along a creek bed that runs behind the shopping center.
Then, on Friday, the sheriff's department said a hiker found a body in the Calavera Lake Preserve. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office later confirmed the body was Larios.
In a Facebook post, the family said they were overwhelmed by the community support in searching for Larios. They started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Armadillo Search and Rescue Team to fund future volunteer search parties.
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"Our family has been humbled by the incredible outpouring love, support, and prayers that we have received from everyone," the post reads. "We thank all of you for efforts and your love, as it has kept us strong through this desperate time."
The family has asked for privacy to grieve.
