A body found near the Orange-Lake County line has been identified as an 82-year-old Clermont man missing since Friday, police confirmed Tuesday morning.
Clermont police said the body of Salvatore Gambino was found Monday night in Orange County, just east of the Lake County line.
Orange County deputies identified the body Tuesday morning.
Police said Gambino's wheelchair was found at the scene, and there were no signs of foul play.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause of death, pending the results of an autopsy by the Medical Examiner's Office.
According to Orange County Sheriff's Office, the body was found just after 8 p.m. Monday by a land owner on West Colonial Drive, about 7 miles east of where Gambino was last seen alive at Grand Highway and Hunt Street, in Clermont.
Josephine Gambino Vasquez, Salvatore's daughter, said it was normal for him to leave the house with his wheelchair, but he had always come back before.
Gambino, a native of Italy, spoke very little English, but he was no stranger to people in the area. He could often be seen in his motorized wheelchair, saying hello to passers-by.
"We see him in that wheelchair all the time, and I am always cautious about going around him," said Sally Duval, of Lake County. "I was just shocked to hear that was him."
Family members and search teams spent much of the Memorial Day weekend canvassing the area within a 5-mile radius of Grand Highway and Hunt Street, just west of the Citrus Tower.
Clermont police, firefighters and Lake County deputies joined the search using helicopters, dive teams and K-9 police dog units.
This photo shows Salvatore Gambino in 2013, after his old wheelchair was stolen. A Tampa couple saw our story and donated a new motorized wheelchair to him. (FILE/Dave D'Marko, Staff)
- Nov. 1, 2013: Thieves steal Clermont man's motorized wheelchair
- Nov. 13, 2013: Tampa couple donates wheelchair to Clermont robbery victim
Police said they notified Gambino's family of his death, and they wished to thank the community for their support and help in searching for him.
"While this isn't the conclusion to this case we had all hoped for, we are grateful to help bring closure to Salvatore's family," Clermont police said in a statement Tuesday.
