The family of missing AIG executive Omar Meza announced his death shortly after California authorities discovered a body.
The body found in a pond at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort has not been confirmed as the insurance giant employee who vanished last week.
The 33-year-old’s disappearance sparked a massive search around the resort with relatives desperately sharing his photos to Facebook hoping someone had seen him.
“We are with heavy hearts tonight as we announce the passing of Omar Meza. He was a very loved son, husband, brother & friend,” his family wrote Thursday. “It brings tears to our eyes to see how well loved Omar was.”
Relatives remained confident even on Thursday morning that Meza would be found. All press conferences regarding the search were subsequently canceled following the announcement of his death.
His wife, Diane, had been in Palm Desert since Meza was reported missing and swore to keep looking for him.
“I’m not leaving until I find him,” Diane Meza told the Desert Sun.
Authorities had spent the last week searching several of the resort’s ponds with dive teams and used bloodhounds on land.
The divisional vice president for the California-based AIG Financial Distributors had been reported missing after colleagues said he was a no-show for a meeting.
They found his coat and wallet, but no sign of Meza.
His wife believes Meza was mistakenly dropped off late Jan 8. at the Palm Desert resort where he was last seen by an Uber driver even though he had been staying at the Courtyard Palm Desert Marriott about a mile away, the Desert Sun reported.
Surveillance footage shows Meza walking into the wrong hotel and then suddenly leaving, the Sun added.
The family believed Meza may have been disoriented.
Meza had been with AIG in Los Angeles for the past decade, according to his LinkedIn account.
Everyone at the L.A. office “thought highly of him,” AIG spokesman Larry Mark told the Daily News in a brief phone call.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to the entire Meza family during this very difficult time,” Mark also said in a statement.
The body discovered Thursday was taken to a coroner’s office for further identification and to determine a cause of death.
