UPDATE 10:05 AM July 21st, 2022: The body found by investigators has been identified as 30-year-old Kristian Garcia Cruz.

Temple police are investigating after officers and game wardens retrieved first a car, then a man's body from the water at Temple Lake Park Wednesday.

Nohely Mackowiak with the City of Temple reports that officers were dispatched to the park at Lake Belton at 9:09 AM in response to a white Nissan Versa having been spotted under the water.

The vehicle was recovered around 11:30 AM, and no one was found inside. At the time, police reported that divers with Temple Fire & Rescue did not locate anyone under the water in the surrounding area.

 

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However, police were later alerted to another concern regarding the area while officers were trying to discover how the car ended up submerged.

"During the investigation, Temple Police were notified that the owner of the vehicle had not been heard from for several hours," Mackowiak wrote in a news release. "Out of an abundance of caution, the Temple Police Department and Texas Parks and Wildlife used a sonar scanner to survey a larger area of the lake. During this search, officers located and retrieved a deceased male that was submerged under water."

At the time of writing, the man whose body was found had not been identified. His remains were sent for an autopsy, and officials were waiting until notification of the person's next of kin before releasing his identity.

Police did not say if they suspect foul play, but anyone who may have information about the incident is encouraged to call the Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500 or Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477.

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