Sandra Cantu's Body Discovered on California Farm

The local coroners office will be conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Sandra Cantu

(TRACY, Calif.) - Police have discovered the remains of Sandra Cantu, the 8-year old girl missing since March 27th from Tracy, California. She was found dead inside a suitcase in a dairy-farm pond near her California home yesterday. At this time, police do not have a suspect.

Tony Sheneman with Tracy Police, says Sandra's body was discovered during the course of farming operations at a dairy farm north of Tracy at Whitehall road off Bacchetti Monday, as farm workers were transferring water from a collection pond to a field for irrigation.

"A suitcase came to the surface of the pond. They immediately notified the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department who, in turn, called the Tracy Police Department," Sheneman said.

Investigators from the Tracy Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department were on scene for several hours combing the area surrounding the pond for evidence prior to removing the bag from the water.

Sheneman says that around 5:40 p.m. Monday evening the bag was taken from the water and transported to the San Joaquin County morgue where it was opened. Sandra Cantu was positively identified at that time.

Dr. Omalu of the coroners office will be conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Sandra’s family, her friends and her classmates," Sheneman said.

"From this point forward investigators will be looking at all of the evidence collected today to determine the person or persons responsible for this reprehensible act and to bring them to justice."

Sheneman says Sandra's family took the news very hard, “They have just experienced the unimaginable.”

The day Sandra Cantu was last seen, she returned home from school, kissed her mother and went to play with a friend who lives in their neighborhood. After short time, Sandra left that home to go to another friend’s home, as said by the spokeswoman for her family.

Ever since the girl went missing, police have been working round the clock to identify a suspect.