FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The man who was found dead after crashing into a canal near Fresno early Christmas morning has been identified by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The coroner’s office identified him as 21-year-old Carlos Mendoza.

According to the California Highway Patrol, between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Mendoza’s family filed a missing person’s report with police after he had not been seen.

Investigators say the family used his phone’s location to search the area of Madsen and Herndon avenues. Responding officers found signs consistent with a possible crash in the area.

After sending in a dive team, officers say a 2012 Dodge Journey was found 12 feet deep in the nearby canal. The vehicle was towed out, and inside, CHP says the 21-year-old was found inside, restrained.

The circumstances leading up to the crash are under investigation.