Body discovered in lake at Mile Square Park identified as 57-year-old Anaheim resident

Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials on Monday released the name of a man whose body was discovered in a lake at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley last week and indicated foul play did not likely play a role in the man’s death.

Spokeswoman Carrie Braun confirmed the coroner’s office identified the individual found Friday as Juan Carlos Aleman Perez, 57, of Anaheim.

The department’s Homicide Detail closed the lake to the visiting public the day the man’s body was discovered, as units combed the shoreline in search of clues or evidence that might identify the decedent. Aleman Perez’s body was reportedly found sometime before 10:45 a.m. Friday by parkgoers riding a swan boat on the lake, a spokesman said from the scene.

Braun said although investigators remained lakeside several hours into the evening before ending their search, no evidence or identifying materials were discovered. Officials are still waiting for final word from the coroner’s office to determine whether to conclude their investigation.

“Based on information we have from the family … our investigators don’t believe it’s something suspicious,” she said. “But if the autopsy shows us something different, then that will lead the investigation in a different way.”

The autopsy, scheduled for sometime this week, may also help authorities understand when Aleman Perez may have died and how long he may have been in the water before his body was discovered.

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