Authorities have identified all three hikers who were found dead this week on Mount Baldy, a rugged Southern California peak long known for its beauty and its dangers. The confirmations bring a somber close to days of search and recovery efforts that were repeatedly challenged by extreme weather and unforgiving terrain.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the final two victims were identified Friday as Juan Sarat Lopez, 37, and Bayron Pedro Ramos Garcia, 36. Both men were originally from Guatemala and were living in Los Angeles at the time of their deaths. Investigators believe they fell from the Devil’s Backbone Trail on the same day they were discovered.
Their identification followed the earlier confirmation of the third hiker, Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, a 19 year old from Seal Beach. The cause of his death remains under investigation.
The tragedy began to unfold on December 29, when Casanova’s hiking companion contacted authorities after witnessing him fall an estimated 500 feet along the exposed ridgeline. The companion hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers, triggering an urgent response from sheriff’s search and rescue teams and air rescue deputies.
When crews arrived in the area, they located Casanova as well as two additional hikers nearby. Severe wind conditions, however, made it impossible for helicopters to safely conduct an immediate rescue. A second attempt later that evening, assisted by an airship from Los Angeles County, also failed due to dangerous weather. Eventually, a medic was lowered to the scene and confirmed that all three hikers had died.
As investigators worked to piece together the circumstances of the falls, trails in the Devil’s Backbone area were closed to the public.
Rising to nearly 10,000 feet east of Los Angeles, Mount Baldy has become increasingly perilous in recent years, particularly during winter. Officials estimate that between 15 and 20 people have died on the mountain over the past decade. The number surged during the harsh winters of 2023 and 2024, when ice and snow transformed familiar hiking routes into deadly hazards.
Among the most widely known fatalities was actor Julian Sands, who disappeared while hiking on Mount Baldy in January 2023. His remains were discovered five months later near the summit, underscoring the mountain’s reputation as both a destination of natural splendor and a place of serious risk.
Sheriff’s officials said additional updates will be released as more information becomes available. For now, the identifications mark a moment of clarity amid loss, as families and communities mourn three lives cut short on one of Southern California’s most iconic peaks.
