Update: Body found near Woodward Reservoir is identified. Homicide case opens

The woman whose body was found early Monday north of Woodward Reservoir was the victim of a homicide, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported.

It identified the victim as Beranea Moreno, 25, of Lodi. She was found dead in her own vehicle on the shoulder of Milton Road near Highway 4 at about 2 a.m., a news release said.

No arrests were reported as of 8 p.m. Monday.

Someone reported the body to the Oakdale Police Department, which contacted the Sheriff’s Department, said Sgt. Joshua Clayton, a sheriff’s spokesman. The gold, four-door Toyota was towed to the coroner’s facility in Modesto with the victim still inside to preserve evidence, he said.

An autopsy determined that Moreno was the victim of a homicide, Clayton said. Details on how she died were not released.

Anyone who had contact with the victim or saw her vehicle in the past week is asked to contact Detective Cory Brown at 209-567-4485. Tips also can go to Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636.

This story was originally published April 8, 2019 at 8:31 PM.