Erik Lippmann found dead

MARINA - An autistic Santa Cruz man missing for more than a week was found dead at Marina State Beach on Thursday morning, authorities confirmed.

Erik Lippmann, 30, walked away from his Seabright-area home April 21. People have searched relentlessly for Lippmann since his disappearance. He liked to walk through parks, forested areas and beaches.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, Lippmann's body was found on the beach near a sand plant north of Marina.

"Receiving this news is devastating," Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend said. "Countywide, the law enforcement community never abandoned the hope of a positive outcome."

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