Body of Boca Raton Man Pulled From Tallahassee Pond

By CRA News Service

The body of a Boca Raton man who was a student at Florida State University was found in a pond near the campus Thanksgiving Day, according to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Jorge Alexander Altuna, a 23-year-old senior who was expected to graduate soon, was reported missing since Nov. 23, one day after his family last been heard from him, authorities said. A passerby saw the body at Carter-Howell-Strong Park  and alerted police.

Altuna suffered from anxiety and depression, and his family was concerned for his safety before his death, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office say there is no sign of foul play at this time, but the investigation is ongoing, LCSO spokesman Lt. Grady Jordan said.

Altuna was last seen alive Nov. 22 after a Florida State University police officer stopped him for running a stop sign on campus, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Altuna, who had a history of traffic violations, fled the scene while officers were processing his passport, police Chief David Perry told the newspaper. Officers did not chase Altuna because they had his identifying information, Perry said. The department then issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of driving with a suspended license and fleeing and eluding police, the newspaper reported.

Only one week earlier, on Nov. 16, a University police officer stopped Altuna after his driver’s side headlight was out. The officer arrested him for driving without a license as a habitual traffic offender, the newspaper reported.

An autopsy has been done but officials are awaiting the results of toxicology screening to determine a cause of death, officials said.

Anyone with any information is asked to call LCSO’s Violent Crimes Unit at 850-606-3400 or Crime Stoppers at 850-574-5477.