Missing man who family feared was kidnapped is found in Coachella
A 35-year-old man who mysteriously vanished from his San Jacinto home was found in Coachella early Tuesday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
John Ecker was discovered a day after he had been reported missing by his wife, who believed he had been kidnapped.
A convenience store clerk in the 45000 block of Dillion Road in Coachella recognized the man when he walked in. The clerk called deputies who later found Ecker.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department said Ecker was reunited with his family and foul play was no longer suspected. No other details were released.
Calls to investigators went unanswered Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the circumstances behind Ecker’s disappearance remain a mystery.
Ecker was reported missing to deputies early Monday after his wife suspected that he had been kidnapped from their home in the 600 block of East Old 2nd Street in San Jacinto.
Investigators made several attempts to contact and locate Ecker but were not successful. Eventually, they determined that foul play may have been a factor in his disappearance.
Investigators released bulletin alerts with a photo of Ecker and his 2013 White GMC utility vehicle throughout Riverside County.
In the meantime, Ecker’s wife took to the media to plea for his safe return.
But she and investigators got a break late Monday when the California Highway Patrol discovered Ecker’s truck 60 miles away in Indio. He was later discovered in Coachella.
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