MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. — Forensic testing has positively identified human remains recovered in Baldwin County as members of the Choc family of Theodore, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Officials said Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, and her two children, 17-year-old Niurka Zuleta-Choc and 2-year-old Anthony Garcia Choc, had not been seen since January, when they were reported missing from their home in Theodore. The family’s disappearance had prompted a lengthy search by investigators.
The remains were discovered in a lightly wooded area off Downing Road in Baldwin County. Investigators have not publicly detailed the circumstances that led to the discovery or the timeline connecting the family’s disappearance to the location where they were ultimately found.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said the family’s next of kin has been formally notified following the forensic identification.
Authorities have not released additional details about the cause of death or whether the case is being investigated as a homicide. The Sheriff’s Office indicated the investigation remains active, and no further information was immediately available.
The case drew significant concern across the Mobile and Baldwin County community after the family vanished earlier this year, with searchers and investigators working for weeks to locate any sign of the mother and her two children.
This is a developing story, and South Alabama News will provide updates as the investigation continues and additional information becomes available from law enforcement.