Update 12:15 p.m. A press conference by Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson is now over. Christianson said a boy's body matching the description of Juliani Cardenas was found in the canal this morning by water authority employees.

Law enforcement believes Jose Rodriguez, Juliani's abductor, is also in the canal but they are treating the abduction as an ongoing homicide investigation, with a warrant issued for his arrest. No additional dive operations are scheduled at this point.

The sheriff says investigators don't believe Rodriguez had the money or resources to fake his own death and disappear.

DNA procedures will be used to positively identify the body. Results will take two to three weeks, Christianson says.

Watch the sheriff's press conference here.

[ad fullwidth]

These news sources are also following the story:

Earlier posts

A potentially grim development in the Juliani Cardenas abduction case. From News 10 Sacramento:

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday morning it's responding to the report of a child's body found in the Delta-Mendota Canal near Gustine.

Sheriff's officials did not say if the body found was connected to the Amber Alert situation, in which two people were in a car that was driven into the canal near Patterson.

The latest from KCRA:

Authorities said a body has been found in the Delta-Mendota Canal near Santa Nella, but officials said it's unclear if the discovery is related to the search for kidnapped 4-year-old Juliani Cardenas.

Delta-Mendota CanalDelta-Mendota Canal

Boy's Body Believed to be Juliani Cardenas' Found in Delta-Mendota Canal

Update on Search for Juliani Cardenas

Update on Search for Juliani Cardenas

Canal Search for Abductor's Car to Resume Tuesday