47°
A hiker discovered the body of Hector Zamorano, 41, off the yellow trail at the Ramapo Valley Reservation around noontime Saturday, Nov. 19, said the sheriff, whose department is handling the investigation.
The area is roughly an hour's walk in from Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202) in Mahwah.
Although no foul play was suspected, Cureton said members of his forensics team -- known as the Bureau of Criminal Identification -- nonetheless went to the scene to collect evidence.
The body was then carried out of the park aboard a Gator ATV and taken to the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office for an official cause of death.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella's office was notified, as well.
Zamorano's wife, Maria Lucero, said her husband left the home he shared with her and their 9-year-old around 9 a.m. this past Sunday.
He walked to the nearby Ramapo Valley Reservation, where he often went to clear his head, she said.
Zamorano, who emigrated to the United States with his family from Chile last year, didn't have his phone with him, she said.
Although he'd recently experienced some stress from work, he didn't appear distraught, Lucero said.
PREVIOUS STORY: The search for a Mahwah man whose wife reported him missing over the weekend was indefinitely suspended after a fruitless two-day search of one of the area's largest parks.
Authorities changed the status of the disappearance of 41-year-old Héctor Zamorano from a search-and-rescue mission to a missing person case.
His wife, Maria Lucero, said Zamorano left their Mahwah home around 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, and walked toward the nearby Ramapo Valley Reservation.
Zamorano, who emigrated to the United States with his wife and their 9-year-old son from Chile last year, often did that to clear his head, Lucero said.
This time, however, he didn't have his phone with him.
Area security video shows Zamorano headed in the direction of the 4,000-acre preserve between Ringwood State Park and the Ramapo Mountain State Forest near the New York State border.
There's no proof that he made it there, however, said authorities who temporarily closed the facility for Tuesday's search.
Coordinated township and county search and rescue teams have used a variety of means to look for Zamorano, who has a house painting business with his wife.
They've employed an ATV, a drone, K9 units, a boat and a helicopter, and were assisted by the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey State Police, NJ Search & Rescue and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
Maria Lucero said she's grateful to the dedicated responders who've been out searching for some sign of her husband.
Authorities noted that they're prepared to resume the search if circumstances change.
One suggestion from an area resident is that anyone who was at the reservation on Sunday check photos or videos they might have taken there for any possible trace of Zamorano.
ANYONE who might have seen or knows where to find him is asked to contact Mahwah police: (201) 529-1000.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Pascack Valley and receive free news updates.
