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Crime & Safety

Update: 43-Year-Old Man Found Dead Sunday in Santa Cruz Identified

The man has been identified as Santa Cruz resident Brad Gargas.

The body of a 43-year-old man found on the sand beneath West Cliff Drive near San Jose Avenue on Sunday morning has been identified as Santa Cruz resident Brad Gargas, according to the Sheriff Coroner's Deputy, Mike Pruger.

An article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel has published his full name as: Brad Anthony "Brandy" Gargas.

The cause of death has yet to be determined, according to Pruger, and will be released after the completion of an autopsy.

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"We do not believe that there was foul play at this time but we are still conducting our follow up investigation," said Pruger.

Santa Cruz Police Deparmtment spokesman, Zach Friend, said that even though there were no obvious signs of foul play at the scene, investigators are still investigating it as a "suspicious death."

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"We still have to investigate to ensure that nothing happened there and the key component of that will be what the coroner determines as the cause of death," said Friend.

Gargas's body was found shortly after 11:30 a.m. in the sand below West Cliff and police and firefighters lifted him from the beach with a crane.

An article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel says that police have ruled out death by falling from the cliffs above.

This article will be updated. 

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