Police Identify Teen Who Drowned In Pond In Cheshire

CHESHIRE, CT — The body recovered from the pond at Mixville Park in Cheshire has been identified as 18-year-old Jefferson Paul Loja, police said in an update Tuesday afternoon.

Loja was originally from Ecuador but was most recently staying with family in Meriden, according to Lt. Jeffrey Sutherland.

The state Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the cause of death as accidental/drowning, Sutherland said.

Loja’s body was found around 4:20 p.m. on Monday, after crews had been searching since Sunday afternoon.

Police responded to Mixville Park in Cheshire around 4:20 p.m. on July 10 on the report of a teenager who had gone missing. Loja was last seen swimming in the pond at Mixville Park.

The search was suspended around 9 p.m. on Monday, according to Sutherland.

Sutherland said Mixville Park was closed to all patrons, and Cheshire police maintained the scene throughout the night.

The search resumed at 8 a.m. on Monday, and the body was recovered around 4:20 p.m., according to Sutherland.