Missing Granada Hills Man Is Declared Dead
A Granada Hills man who has been reported missing since he went to the desert for target practice in December was declared officially dead Tuesday by a San Fernando Superior Court judge.
According to documents filed in Judge Fred Rimerman’s court Tuesday, police investigators suspect that 45-year-old Howard Tokarsky, operations manager of a Sylmar chemical company, was the victim of foul play after he went to an unspecified desert site early in the morning on Dec. 14.
Kern County sheriff’s deputies on routine patrol that night found Tokarsky’s Ford Bronco parked behind a market on the outskirts of Mojave. The keys to the unlocked vehicle were still in the ignition and Tokarsky’s wallet, with no money, was found inside. Many of Tokarsky’s personal belongings were found strewn throughout the vehicle.
No further trace of Tokarsky, who was the subject of an extensive wilderness hunt, has been found, the court documents said.
Detectives investigating Tokarsky’s disappearance said they suspect foul play because Tokarsky had no known family or work-related problems that would cause him to leave suddenly.
Tokarsky is survived by his wife of 21 years, Merle, and two young children.
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