The identity of an El Centro murder victim has been released.

The El Centro Police Department says that autopsy results have confirmed that 30-year old Raul Esparza of El Centro was the victim of a homicide on September 17 , 2019. Esparza's body was found in a trash can that had been set on fire in the area of the railroad tracks west of the 900 block of Hamilton Avenue in El Centro. The body was burned beyond recognition and El Centro police and the Imperial County Coroner's Office were able to establish that the victim was Esparza , whose family had reported him missing on September 18. The resulting autopsy confirmed the identity of the victim and also  revealed that Esparza's death was an intentional act and is being investigated as a murder. ECPD is investigating several leads that have been developed and have asked that any one with any information about the crime contact the El Centro police Investigations unit.