Press Release
Sheriff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wanted Missing Person Found Deceased West of Cle Elum

Kittitas County, WA - 08/19/2023 - Today, Saturday 8/19, deputies worked with Kittitas County Search & Rescue dogs and handlers to locate the deceased missing wanted person, Fernando Flores.

Flores was a suspect in last Sunday's hit and run accident on Golf Course Road that involved a stolen vehicle and left a young woman severely injured. Flores was initially believed to have fled the area, but the local search for him was renewed after his family reporting him missing on Tuesday.

Flores was found by KCSR Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs in tall grass and thick brush close to the area where his cell phone was last active on Sunday night. It appears he succumbed to injuries from the accident, but the Coroner's Office will investigate and confirm the cause of his death.

Thank you to the many neighbors and locals who demonstrated patience, understanding, and caution during this search. While we knew it was possible Flores might be deceased when his family reported him missing, the open investigation and his criminal history meant we couldn't put HRD dogs, with their civilian handlers, in the field until all likelihood of danger was past.

The young woman injured in the collision was released from Harborview Hospital's Critical Care Unit and is expected to recover from her injuries.

The Flores family has been notified of Fernando's death. The Flores family knows Fernando made some bad choices. Even so, they've lost a loved one whom they hoped would do better, and we sympathize with the loss and regret they feel.

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Inspector Chris Whitsett
509-962-7615
christopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us

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