Body found at Virginia national park believed to be missing college student, cops say

A body found at Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park is believed to be that of a missing George Mason University student, according to the National Park Service.

“Based on a preliminary identification of remains found Sunday, May 21 ... the search for Mateo Cobo Zevallos conducted by Shenandoah National Park with support from Virginia Department of Emergency Management has been suspended,” the park said in a news release.

“The remains were found in the park about 1.6 miles from where his car was parked in steep terrain near several rock outcrops.”

The body, which was found at 12:15 p.m., was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Manassas “for positive identification and determination of cause of death,” officials said.

Zevallos, 21, was last seen May 5 when he left his home in Oakton, headed to the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, officials say.

The distance is just under 4 miles. However, his 2020 Honda Civic was found 11 days later on Skyline Drive inside the 197,438-acre Shenandoah National Park, according to the National Park Service. The park is about 70 miles from Oakton.

“Zevallos was reported missing to the Fairfax County Police Department on May 6,” the National Park Service said.

“Based on information received Tuesday evening, May 16, Shenandoah National Park rangers began looking for Mr. Zevallos’s vehicle,” officials said. “They located the car in the northern area of Shenandoah National Park in a parking lot that serves the popular Overall Run Falls Trail.”

The park closed six trails as it searched for signs of Zevallos, officials said.

Shenandoah National Park has 516 miles of hiking trails and search closures include some of the best known among them, including Overall Run, Traces, Mathews Arm, Tuscarora, Beecher Ridge, and Thompson Hollow.

Fairfax County Police reported Zevallos might be “endangered due to mental and/or physical health concerns.” He was believed to have left his home carrying a North Face backpack, officials said.

The Facebook page “Looking for Mateo” notes “he’s an honor student at George Mason University.” He was expected to graduate from the university on Thursday, May 18, station WUSA9 reports.

George Mason University is “Virginia’s largest public research university” with an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 27,000 students and a campus of 817 acres, USnews.com reports.

This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Body found at Virginia national park believed to be missing college student, cops say."