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Man detained in connection to death of teen near Salton Sea

By , ,
February 13, 2026 5:03 PM
Published 3:55 PM

EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story said a man had been arrested, but the man was not arrested, he was detained.

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) - A man has been detained in connection to the death of 17-year-old T'neya Tovar.

The Imperial County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) confirmed a man was detained at his residence in Salton City.

Tovar was reported missing last December after traveling to Thermal, California.

In late December, investigators discovered human remains in the Salton City area.

Weeks later, DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Tovar after her mother provided a sample for comparison.

ICSO says the investigation is ongoing with assistance from the FBI.

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Danyelle Burke North

Danyelle Burke North joined the KYMA team in March 2024 as a reporter.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo joined the KYMA team as a videographer in February 2024. If you have story ideas, you can send them to his email at manoah.tuiasosopo@kecytv.com.

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