Sheriff Adam Diss releases,
On 3/05/2023 deputies were dispatched to 701 Boyce Memorial Drive ( US Silica, ) Ottawa, in reference to an abandoned vehicle parked in the pit. Deputies responded and determined the vehicle belonged to a person who was reported missing/endangered, by Ottawa PD, on the morning of 3/05/2023.
Deputies searched the are. A short time later a male was found deceased, in a ravine, on the south side of the property. The Coroner , LaSalle County Detectives, MABAS Division 25 Technical Rescue Team, and the Emergency Management Agency were dispatched to assist.
The male was later identified as Joshua Szarka (31) of Ottawa. The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office will be conducting a forensic autopsy on 03/07/2023. No fouls play suspected at this time. The incident is still under investigation by the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa Police Department, and the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.
