Warrant: Authorities believe body found at Falls Lake to be missing Durham man

Police are investigating after a body was discovered in a wooded area near Falls Lake in Wake County Saturday evening.

Posted 6:28 p.m. Sep 25, 2015 — Updated 6:28 p.m. Sep 25, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. — Authorities believe a body found two weeks ago near Falls Lake to be that of a Durham man who has been missing for more than a month, according to a search warrant released Thursday.

Two fisherman found the body in a wooded area near Falls Cove and Durham Road on Sept. 12.

A silver 1999 Honda CRV parked nearby was registered to a Durham woman whose husband, Santos Portillo, was reported missing on Sept. 1, according to the application for a warrant to search the SUV. Family members told police that they hadn't seen Portillo since Aug. 16, the application states.

Investigators seized a passport, a Social Security card, a Spanish-language Book of Mormon, a bookbag with various papers and a tablet computer in it, $29 in cash and other items from the SUV, according to the warrant.

The body was sent to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office for identification.

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