Human remains found near Big Bear identified as missing California firefighter
Missing firefighter's remains found in Big Bear
Human remains found in Big Bear have been identified as firefighter Carlos Baltazar, a Big Bear Hotshot who was last seen Sept. 20, 2020.
Carlos Baltazar via GoFundMe
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Department has positively identified the human remains found near Big Bear as those of missing firefighter Carlos Baltazar.
What we know:
Baltazar, a Big Bear Hotshot, was last seen on Sept. 20, 2020, the same time the El Dorado Fire was burning in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
According to the sheriff's department, a group of hunters found a human skull on Oct. 26, 2024 in the Cactus Flats Area, near Smarts Rancho Road. Investigators searched the area the following day and located additional remains.
The coroner's office said through DNA, they were able to positivity identify him in February 2025 and notify his family. His identity was released to the public on Tuesday.
What we don't know:
His cause of death is still unknown.
The backstory:
Baltazar was reported missing by his family on Sept. 24, 2020.
Investigators initially said his car was found abandoned on Highway 18 near Delta Avenue by the California Highway Patrol four days earlier. His fire backpack was found about 75 yards away from where his vehicle was located.
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On Sept. 28, authorities released an updated statement saying that Baltazar may have been picked up near his vehicle on Highway 18 by someone driving a Subaru.
Carlos was off duty at the time and not in the area of the El Dorado Fire, officials said.
What's next:
His family has set up a GoFundMe account to help fund his funeral.
"Our family has been going through so much agony and pain not knowing what happened to him these past years; not having closure has been so horrible, especially for his 77-year-old mother, who is now left to raise his 14-year-old son. On Feb 22, 2025 we received the news that they had finally found his remains close to where he had disappeared. We are asking for the public's help to finally put my uncle to rest and give him proper funeral services. He did so much for the community as a Wildland Firefighter and put his life on the line for others," the GoFundMe read.