Body found in orchard identified

The body of the woman found in an abandoned palm orchard last week has been identified by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lauren Reimer, the deceased is 25-year-old Renise Garcia, whose last known address was in Casa Grande. Reimer said the cause of death will be determined by the Pinal County Medical Examiner. She said PCSO is still investigating her death.

Garcia was found by Maricopa resident Brandy Johnson, who was exploring the area south of town near N. Anderson Road and the Santa Cruz Wash. The body was found at about 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 6.

PCSO provided some details on the incident in a statement released last Wednesday.

“On March 6 at approximately 10 a.m., PCSO Detectives were called to the area of W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy and N. Anderson Rd. regarding a deceased female found nearby. Her identity has not yet been confirmed. The woman was likely in her late 20s or early 30s, 5 foot 6 with black and blonde hair.”

Johnson has lived in Maricopa for 18 years and frequently spends weekends exploring areas outside of town. She initially did not realize what she had stumbled upon when she discovered Garcia’s remains.

“Between each row of those palm trees is about 5 feet of dirt,” she said of the area she was exploring. “About 20 rows back I saw a foot and an arm. Initially I thought it might be a homeless person, but in my brain, I knew the body was not posed right, and a homeless person wouldn’t be out here, there are no resources. So, I called to the person and there was no answer and that was when I knew she was dead.”