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Police Tentatively Identify Body Found Down Ravine As 88-Year-Old Man Missing For 2 Weeks

SANTA CLARITA (AP)  — A Los Angeles police detective says the second car pulled out of a ravine along a treacherous mountain road belongs to an 88-year-old man missing for two weeks.

The car was found when a 68-year-old motorist missing about six days was found alive Thursday after a 200-foot plunge in the same spot in Angeles National Forest.

Detective Marla Ciuffetelli of the missing persons unit said Friday the license plate on the second car matches that of a Toyota Camry belonging to Melvin Gelfand, who was last seen Sept. 14 at his Los Angeles home.

The coroner's office says a male body found in the car could not be readily identified due to decomposition.

The surviving motorist, David Lavau, was seriously injured but is expected to recover.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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