Public Safety

New Sketch Seeks Name for Man Found in Sweetwater Reservoir in 1999

By Santee Pulse Staff · Published November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
New Sketch Seeks Name for Man Found in Sweetwater Reservoir in 1999
Photo: Forensic sketches: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children / San Diego County News Center

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is seeking help identifying a young man whose body was found in Sweetwater Reservoir on Jan. 2, 1999. A new forensic sketch is part of an appeal released Thursday by the county.

A reservoir employee discovered him near Circulo Margen in Spring Valley. Investigators estimated his age at 17 to 22 and believe he likely disappeared around New Year’s Eve 1998 or New Year’s Day 1999.

His left shoulder had a tattoo with the word “WICCA,” a bird shaped like a V, an ankh and a pentagram. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed approximately 166 pounds, according to the county.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children recently produced a reconstruction and sketch to support the identification effort. The county’s appeal also highlights four other unidentified young people; the published image contains sketches from several cases.

Anyone with information about the Sweetwater Reservoir case can contact the Medical Examiner’s Office at 858-694-2895 and reference case 99-00015. Source: San Diego County News Center.

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