BONSALL — The body of a 21-year-old man who had been missing for nearly a month was found inside his car, which was discovered submerged in the San Luis Rey River, authorities said.
A vehicle belonging to Isaiah “Zae” Lowe, who has been missing for weeks, was found on Feb. 17, submerged in the river just south of state Route 76 near Interstate 15. The black Chevrolet Camaro with red stripes had been underwater due to recent rainfall, complicating recovery efforts.
Authorities delayed removing the car until the following morning due to nightfall. On Feb. 18, law enforcement pulled the vehicle from the river and found Lowe’s body inside.
Lowe was first reported missing to the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation on Jan. 24, two days after he was last seen. Surveillance footage captured him leaving his home in his car on Jan. 22 at 5:58 a.m.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, deputies entered Lowe into the missing person database and circulated a bulletin to law enforcement agencies across Southern California.
The Sheriff’s Office told The Coast News on Feb. 10 that Lowe was not considered an “at-risk” missing person at the time of his disappearance.
In the weeks following his disappearance, Lowe’s phone remained off, and his bank accounts showed no activity, raising concerns for his family.
His parents launched their own search efforts, posting regularly on social media, distributing flyers, and asking the community for help locating their son.
Law enforcement agencies across San Diego and Riverside counties assisted in the search, alongside private investigator Tony Campbell of AC Investigation, who volunteered his time to help the family.
Campbell interviewed Lowe’s friends in Murrieta, where he was believed to have been staying. However, none of them had heard from him.
“They didn’t understand what was going on,” Campbell told The Coast News.
Using Lowe’s LoJack tracking system, Campbell and the family could retrace his vehicle’s movements before it disappeared.
“It showed his car going eastbound on SR-76 to the I-15 freeway, then doubling back before coming to South Mission Road and making a U-turn, then at that point, he’s heading east until all of a sudden the LoJack just stops,” Campbell said.
The family and Campbell searched the area after a tracking signal was lost, though their initial efforts yielded nothing. Days later, Lowe’s family returned to the location and made a crucial discovery.
During their second search, Lowe’s family reportedly found a large hole in the fence above a steep ravine leading into the river, located just north of Ramona Drive in Bonsall. Scattered across the area, they discovered black car debris and fender material marked with a red emblem — matching Lowe’s Camaro.
“They’re looking around and see these black pieces of a car all over the place and some fender material with the red emblem on it,” Campbell said.
Lowe’s mother immediately notified the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation, prompting authorities to revisit the scene.
The California Highway Patrol and the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office responded, and the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Volunteers and Reserves Dive Team assisted in the vehicle’s recovery.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine Lowe’s official cause of death.
