The body of 18-year-old Elias Ramos was found along the Indian River Lagoon shoreline Sunday afternoon near Indian River Drive, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Ramos, from Edgewater, was identified as the person whose body was recovered by a boater earlier that day. Deputies say the discovery is linked to an incident that occurred in Brevard County just days earlier.
Ramos had fled from police during a confrontation in Sebastian on February 28, according to Captain Joe O’Boyle of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. He ran into the Indian River Lagoon, approximately a few miles north of U.S. 1, and was last seen by law enforcement at that location. Investigators are now examining the case as a suspicious death, with the scope of the investigation expanding to include Volusia, Brevard, and two other counties.
O’Boyle said the sheriff’s office is working with multiple agencies to determine what led to Ramos’ death. The body was recovered about 24 hours after he fled, but the cause of death remains unknown. Authorities have not ruled out foul play but are also considering other possibilities.
Ramos was involved in a family dispute prior to the incident, though details about the nature of the conflict have not been disclosed. The Sebastian Police Department initially pursued him after the February 28 encounter, but he escaped into the lagoon.
A hearing related to the case is scheduled for tomorrow at 9 a.m. The sheriff’s office has asked anyone with information about Ramos’ movements or activities in the days before his death to contact investigators.