Man found dead along railroad tracks identified as Salida resident

The man found dead near railroad tracks in Salida on Monday afternoon has been identified by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department as 41-year-old Salida resident Sonny Molten.

The Coroner’s Office is working to determine cause of death through toxicology testing, the Sheriff’s Department said. There were no visible traumatic wounds, and Molten’s body had been where it was found – about a half-mile north of the Kiernan Avenue-Elm Street intersection – for two to three days.

Stanislaus County Superior Court records show a criminal history for Molten that includes convictions for burglary, receiving stolen property, transportation and sale of narcotics and battery causing great bodily injury.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Man found dead along railroad tracks identified as Salida resident."