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3 people found dead after Sacramento County flooding are identified

3 people found dead after Sacramento County flooding are identified
>> AFTER DAYS OF UNCERTAINTY THE FAMILY OF 61-YEAR-OLD KATHY MARTINEZ OF ORLAND GOT THE NEWS THEY WERE DREADING, YESTERDAY. SHE WAS THE THIRD KNOWN VICTIM OF THE DANGEROUS FLOODING OVER THE WEEKEND IN SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. CELL PHONE DATA SHOWED HER LAST KNOWN LOCATION WAS ON NEW HOPE ROAD NEAR GALT. NEARTHE AREA WHERE HER SON SAYS HE FOUND HER CAR YESTERDAY HIMSELF AFTER REPORTING HER MISSING TO THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TWO DAYS EARLIER. IT’S UPSETTING IN THIS TRYING TIME, THAT WE WERE DOING ALL THE FOOTWOORK TO FIND HER, MARTINEZ’ SON TOLD US ON THE PHONE. WE ASKED THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ABOUT IT. >> OBVIOUSLY WE FEEL FOR THE FAMILY AND EXTEND OUR SYMPATHY TO THEM. EVERYTHING IS TAKEN BY PRIORITY. IF THERE ARE AT RISK MISSING PERSONS THOSE DO TAKE PRECEDENT. >> SERGEANT AMAR GANDHI SAYS FACTORS LIKE SOMEONE’S AGE OR IF THEY NEED LIFE-SAVING MEDICATION, DETERMINE IF THEYR’E DEEMED AT RISK WHEN REPORTED MISSING. MARTINEZ WAS NOT. >> IT’S MORE OF A LEGAL TERM THAT’S DEFINED AND IT’S A VERY SPECIFIC SET OF CRITERIA THAT HAVE TO BE MET BEFORE WE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY CAN LABEL THEM AS AN AT RISK MISSING PERSON. >> REGARDLESS GANDHI SAYS DEPUTIES DID WORK TO FIND MARTINEZ EVEN AS PARTS OF NEW HOPE ROAD WERE STILL UNDERWATER. >> THOSE STEPS WERE TAKEN BUT AREAS THAT WERE INACCESSIBLE AT THAT TIME I CAN’T TELL YOU THAT THEY WENT PINPOINT EXACTLY WHERE SHE WAS ULTIMATELY DISCOVERED BUT I CAN TELL YOU SURE THEY DID CHECK THAT. >> LAST NIGHT THE COSUMNES FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO LAUNCH A BOAT TO HELP RECOVER HER BODY. MARTINEZ’ FAMILY SAYS SHE WAS AN AMAZING PERSON. A WONDERFUL MOTHER AND A CARING AND LOVING AUNT AND SISTER. IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, LYSEE MITRI, KCRA 3 NEWS. >> HER SON SAYS HIS YOUNGER BROTHER HAD GOTTEN STUCK IN THE MUD AND MARTINEZ WAS DRIVING FROM ORLAND TO TRY TO HELP HIM, BUT NEVER MADE I
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3 people found dead after Sacramento County flooding are identified
The Sacramento County coroner has identified all three people found dead in the southern part of the county in the wake of flooding from the New Year's Eve storm. They are:Steven Sampson, 45, of McAlester, Oklahoma. Katherine Martinez, 61, of Orland, California. Mei Keng Lam , 57, of San Leandro, California. Martinez's body was found Wednesday inside a submerged vehicle impacted by the flooding at New Hope Road west of Orr Road, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Part of New Hope Road is still flooded in that area west of Galt. The family of Martinez said they found her car themselves after reporting her missing to the sheriff's office two days earlier."It's upsetting in this trying time that we were doing all the footwork to find her," Martinez's son said over the phone."Obviously, we feel for the family and extend our sympathy to them," Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said.Martinez was not deemed "at-risk" when she was reported missing, Gandhi said. To be considered at-risk requires a specific set of criteria, he explained.Hours before Martinez was found, Lam's body was found near Dillard Road east of Highway 99, roughly a 30-minute drive away, the California Highway Patrol said.Officials said Lam's body was discovered in a field around 10 a.m. CHP strongly suspects she was associated with a stranded car. On Sunday, authorities discovered Sampson's body inside a submerged vehicle in that same area near Highway 99.| MORE | Dozens rescued from Highway 99 after vehicles get stuck in floodwaters; 1 found deadFlooding on that part of Highway 99 had led to several vehicles being stuck on the roadway. Dozens of people were rescued over the weekend.Meanwhile, a man wanted in connection with an attack that injured two people in El Dorado County last month was found dead in the South Fork of the American River on Wednesday, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators are looking to determine the cause of death.--Hilda Flores contributed to this story.

The Sacramento County coroner has identified all three people found dead in the southern part of the county in the wake of flooding from the New Year's Eve storm.

They are:

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  • Steven Sampson, 45, of McAlester, Oklahoma.
  • Katherine Martinez, 61, of Orland, California.
  • Mei Keng Lam , 57, of San Leandro, California.

Martinez's body was found Wednesday inside a submerged vehicle impacted by the flooding at New Hope Road west of Orr Road, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Part of New Hope Road is still flooded in that area west of Galt.

The family of Martinez said they found her car themselves after reporting her missing to the sheriff's office two days earlier.

"It's upsetting in this trying time that we were doing all the footwork to find her," Martinez's son said over the phone.

"Obviously, we feel for the family and extend our sympathy to them," Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said.

Martinez was not deemed "at-risk" when she was reported missing, Gandhi said. To be considered at-risk requires a specific set of criteria, he explained.

Hours before Martinez was found, Lam's body was found near Dillard Road east of Highway 99, roughly a 30-minute drive away, the California Highway Patrol said.

Officials said Lam's body was discovered in a field around 10 a.m. CHP strongly suspects she was associated with a stranded car.

On Sunday, authorities discovered Sampson's body inside a submerged vehicle in that same area near Highway 99.

| MORE | Dozens rescued from Highway 99 after vehicles get stuck in floodwaters; 1 found dead

Flooding on that part of Highway 99 had led to several vehicles being stuck on the roadway. Dozens of people were rescued over the weekend.

Meanwhile, a man wanted in connection with an attack that injured two people in El Dorado County last month was found dead in the South Fork of the American River on Wednesday, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators are looking to determine the cause of death.

--Hilda Flores contributed to this story.