Hidalgo County sheriffs, search and rescue groups discover body after weekend storm
LAS CRUCES - Hidalgo County Sheriffs and a slew of search and rescue organizations discovered the body of a woman near Rodeo, New Mexico, on Tuesday.
The woman's identity was officially unknown; however, the sheriff's office was called to the area after a Rodeo-area family reported an 82-year-old woman missing on July 9.
The woman discovered on Tuesday matches the description of the missing woman. Her body was also discovered less than a mile from the family's house, according to the sheriff's office.
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Rodeo is located along the Arizona and New Mexico border. Like much of southern New Mexico, the area received heavy winds and rains over the weekend and on Sunday specifically. National Weather Service Meteorologist Jordon Pegram said storms in that area began at around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. She said wind gusts ranged from 25 to 30 miles per hour as rain poured from about 8:30 p.m. to midnight.
The cause of the death is yet to be determined. However, Hidalgo County Sheriff Warren Walter said his department does not believe the cause of the woman's death was suspicious.
Warren said the women's body was sent to the state medical investigator to confirm the women's identity and cause of death.
Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be contacted at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or on Twitter @Just516garc.
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