Julian Sands Search: Body Found Near Reported Area Where Actor Went Missing

Human remains have been found in a Southern California mountain area where actor Julian Sands disappeared five months ago. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed Saturday that hikers "discovered human remains in the Mt. Baldy wilderness." The body, discovered around 10 a.m., was transported to the coroner's office for identification. No further details were immediately available.

"At about 10:00 a.m., civilian hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff's Station after they discovered human remains in the Mt. Baldy wilderness," the police department said. "Fontana Station deputies, along with the Sheriff's Department's Emergency Operations Division, responded to the scene. The decedent was transported to the Coroner's Office, pending positive identification. Identification should be completed next week at which time we will update this press release. No further details are available at this time."

Although police did not mention Sands by name, the human remains were discovered in the same area where Sands was hiking on Jan. 13. His wife, Eugenia Citkowitz, reported him missing after he failed to return home. The actor was last seen in the Baldy Bowl area of Mt. Baldy on Jan. 13. Initial search efforts were hindered by the rough terrain and weather in the area, with winter storms dumping as much as 10 feet of snow in the mountains. On Jan. 24, the sheriff's department announced that a second hiker in the area, Jin Chung of Los Angeles, had been found alive after he was reported missing .

On June 17, the eighth organized search for Sands began, with more than 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies, and staff participating, as well as two helicopters and drone crews. Police noted that during the most recent search efforts, parts of the mountain "remain inaccessible due to extreme alpine conditions."

"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," Sands' family shared in a statement over the weekend. "We continue to hold Julian in our hearts, with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer."

Sands is said to be an experienced outdoorsman and an avid hiker. The is well-known for his acting career, Sands having starred in more than 150 movies and television shows since the early 1980s. His best-known films are A Room With A View, Leaving Las Vegas, Warlock, The Phantom of the Opera, Arachnophobia, and Ocean's Thirteen. On TV, he played the villain in 24 Season 5 and also played Jor-El in Smallville.