Coroner Identifies 2 Bodies Recovered From LA River As Missing Teens

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Two bodies that were recovered from the Los Angeles River were those of two missing teenage boys.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Monday confirmed the bodies of Carlos Jovel, 16, and Gustavo Ramirez, 15, were found near Cypress Park.

The boys went missing Friday. Divers recovered their bodies around 8:20 p.m. Sunday about five miles away from where they went missing.

Investigators said one of the teens fell in the water and the other went in after him. Neither could swim.

Families and friends gathered along the river Monday for a vigil in memory of the two friends, who attended Sotomayor Learning Academies School of History and Dramatic Arts in Cypress Park.

"I miss him a lot. My little brother," said one of the victim's sister Griselda Ramirez. "In school in the soccer team, they would call him 'Smiley' because he always had a big smile on his face."

Friends and teammates wore white clothing to school Monday in their honor.

Superintendent Michelle King released a written statement that reads in part: "On behalf of the district, I express my deepest condolences to the boys' families and friends and to the Sotomayor Learning Academies community. Their deaths are a loss for the entire Los Angeles Unified School District."

Crisis counselors were available to provide support to students and staff affected by the tragedy.