Missing Local High School Teacher Found Dead in Costa Mesa

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By Breeana Greenberg

The body of 44-year-old Dana Point resident Orion Adrian Gardner was found in Costa Mesa earlier this week, concluding an 18-day search by law enforcement, authorities announced Thursday, Aug. 11.

Gardner, a JSerra Catholic High School science teacher, was reported missing on July 21, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department issuing a critical missing person alert. Gardner left his Dana Point home in the early morning of July 20 in a black shirt, black pants, black shoes and black rimmed glasses.

A homeless individual in Costa Mesa was collecting cans and other recyclables behind a doggy daycare center on Bristol Street when he noticed the body on Sunday morning, Aug. 7, according to California Highway Patrol.

The body was initially reported to Costa Mesa Police, said California Highway Patrol Officer Anselmo Templado.

“Coroners were called, and in their initial assessment, they determined that the body had been deceased for about nine to 12 days based on decomposition,” Templado said. “There was no evidence of any type of trauma or any self-inflicted injuries.”

The case was taken over by California Highway Patrol Santa Ana because Gardner’s body was discovered on state property, OCSD spokesperson Sgt. Todd Hylton said.

A death investigation is currently underway, pending an autopsy and toxicology report, Templado said,

OCSD’s Dana Point Police Services posted a Twitter update on Thursday announcing the positive identification, writing, “the Department sends its deepest condolences to the Gardner family.”

Breeana Greenberg

Breeana Greenberg is the city reporter for the Dana Point Times. She graduated from Chapman University with a bachelor of arts degree in English. Before joining Picket Fence Media, she worked as a freelance reporter with the Laguna Beach Independent. Breeana can be reached by email at bgreenberg@picketfencemedia.com

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