CSPD identifies body of Colorado Springs man reported missing in 2022
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says they've identified human remains they found, and they belong to a man who has been missing for more than two years.
Police say 28-year-old Santino Cardella was reported missing back in April of 2022. They believe foul play was involved.
RELATED: Colorado Springs Police search for man missing since January
Fast forward to 2024, two years after he disappeared, when police say they got information that indicated he could be buried somewhere. In October of 2024, police say they received a warrant to search land in Pueblo County.
KRDO13 was on the scene as they searched and located a body. However, at the time, law enforcement did not disclose what case their search was related to.
A neighbor close by says she remembers the large law enforcement presence.
"I was driving down the street one day, coming home from work when I noticed a lot of police, blocking the street. And, when I heard about what they were possibly doing, I felt sad and scared for the community," recounted neighbor Maria Elena Vargas.
We now know the search on Oct. 7 was for Cardella's body after an announcement from CSPD on Tuesday.
"I barely even know my neighbors because there's never any kind of chaos. Except for that time," explained neighbor Maria Elena Vargas, who lives nearby where the body was found.
People in the area say it's a quiet area, except the day investigators floodlights filled the area.
Details are still limited at this time, and the coroner's office is still trying to determine his cause of death.
This remains an active investigation, and anyone with information or who was a witness to this incident is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
