Body found on Broad Beach identified as missing Santa Monica musician
The L.A. County Medical Examiner identified 36-year-old Braden Pontoli, reported missing from downtown Santa Monica.
By Hans Laetz
A man who had been reported missing in Santa Monica is the person whose body was discovered on Broad Beach at the height of the high surf. The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that 36-year-old Braden Pontoli was the person found at Broad Beach.
Pontoli was a musician, composer, conductor, and sound artist. He was discovered Wednesday afternoon at Broad Beach, about 30 hours after he was reported missing from downtown Santa Monica. His friends and relatives were putting up posters at the time; they said his disappearance was unusual. They found his car parked in a garage in downtown Santa Monica.
The coroner's office has yet to determine the cause and manner of death, and has yet to figure out how long the body had been in the ocean. The case is being investigated by Sheriff's homicide detectives, as all mysterious deaths are.