Body found in Delta is Lodi transgender' s; no signs of foul play

Body found in Delta is Lodi transgender' s; no signs of foul play

By Layla Bohm
Lodi News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Last updated: Wednesday, Aug 30, 2006

http://www.lodinews .com/articles/ 2006/08/30/ news/4_transgend er_060830. txt

The case of the Lodi transgender woman who vanished in March 2005 is
officially closed: Dental records have confirmed that Alicia
Sandoval's body was in her car when it was found submerged in an
area slough last month.

Sandoval was last seen leaving a Thornton bar at 2 a.m. March 27,
2005, but never returned to her Lodi home on North Church Street.

Sandoval, 44, had lived as a woman for many years and local
residents said they couldn't tell she was transgender. But police
had worried that Sandoval could have been targeted if someone
learned her true gender.

After searching throughout the area, checking on different names
Sandoval used, driving along Delta waterways and even following a
lead to Reno, Lodi police investigators turned up nothing.

Then, on July 26, a tow company found Sandoval's car near Walnut
Grove, submerged in the water with a body inside.

The Sacramento County Coroner's Office had to use dental records but
on Aug. 16 confirmed that the body was that of Ofelia Sandoval
Satallo, a spokeswoman said. Lodi Police confirmed it was one of the
aliases Sandoval had used.

Sandoval's name had not been made public while coroner's officials
notified her family in Mexico.

Police determined that Sandoval, whom witnesses had said was
drinking, was involved in a solo-vehicle drunken driving crash, Lodi
Police Detective Steve Maynard said Tuesday.

A Sacramento County Sheriff's homicide investigator also looked at
the case and found no evidence of foul play, Maynard said.

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Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews. com.

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