PORT NECHES, Texas — After 14 years, a family finally has answers and a missing person’s case out of Port Neches is coming to a close.
In August 2022, the search for 43-year-old Elton Harris led Port Arthur Police to a canal off Highway 73. Harris had not been seen since July 24, 2022.
Port Arthur firefighters used sonar to search for Harris' car and found two cars in the canal.
Divers found Harris' body inside his car. They also found bones in a red 1993 Acura sedan.
On Friday, investigators confirmed the bones belong to 25-year-old Adrian Lozoya. He was last seen Sunday, May 4, 2008 around 3 a.m. walking out of an iHop on Memorial Boulevard.
Port Neches Police Chief Cheri Griffith believes evidence gathered from the night Lozoya went missing and information from his autopsy show no signs of foul play.
Chief Griffith said Lozoya’s family has been informed and the case is now closed.
“I know nothing ever really and truly brings closure," Chief Griffith said. "But hopefully having him identified, located and identified will at least bring some degree of peace to the family."
Zulema Escobedo is the district director of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens. The organization reposted Lozoya's case just weeks before his remains were located.
"All of the sudden, like, I think three or four weeks later, we get a call and their like, 'I think we found him.'" Escobedo said.
Lozoya's mother died in the years after he went missing. His brother is still alive and has waited for the day his family would finally get answers as to what happened to their loved one.
"He was just saying that he wanted it resolved for the memory of his mom," Escobedo said. "Cause, you know, obviously she never found out what happened with him. He was just grateful that LULAC brought some light to this case."
Now after more than a decade, investigators are calling off the search.
"There was nothing to indicate foul play, and at this time the case has been closed," Escobedo said. "Unfortunately, it just appears that it was a tragic accident."
Any other details about how Lozoya ended up in the canal remain unknown.