Body Found Near Metrolink Tracks

The body of an 18-year-old man was discovered Tuesday morning about a mile north of Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The slaying, the first in this city in two years, was being investigated as a gang-related crime, police said.

A Metrolink train operator spotted the body of Miguel Gonzalez of San Juan Capistrano about 7:45 a.m. between a concrete wall and the railroad tracks along Camino Capistrano, said Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Ron Wilkerson. It was not clear Tuesday afternoon whether Gonzalez had been shot or stabbed, Wilkerson said.

“At this point, we suspect this may be gang-related, but it’s too early to say for sure,” Wilkerson said. “We have no idea yet how long the body was there.”

Although the slaying is the first in San Juan Capistrano since May 1995, Wilkerson noted that Gonzalez’s body was found in an area where police have grappled with entrenched street gang problems.

“We certainly know that there are gangs active in South County and in this area, and we are putting a lot of resources into staying on top of those issues,” he said. “Still, on occasion, we see this.”

The investigation of the crime scene, close to Camino Capistrano and Calle Chueca, forced the closure of commuter rail service on the nearby railroad tracks from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wilkerson said.