Despite family’s certainty, sheriff’s office yet to confirm indentity
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Raymond Ruiz is pictured with family members.
A 41-year-old Satsuma man who went missing in February was found dead in his truck March 18, family members said last week.
Although law enforcement and medical officials have yet to identify the body, Raymond Ruiz’s family members are certain it is him.
The family plans to have a celebration of life for Raymond Ruiz at 2 p.m. Saturday at Watts Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 720 U.S. 17 in San Mateo.
“To me, he was like my best friend,” Raymond Ruiz’s sister, Maria Ruiz, said Tuesday.
Raymond Ruiz’s girlfriend, Brandy Porter, said she and he would have celebrated their six-year anniversary in August. She said her heart is broken and she knows everyone, including his family, is grieving.
Porter and Maria Ruiz said Raymond was found in his truck not far from his residence but the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office did not confirm that information Wednesday.
“At this point, all we can say is we’ve found remains and we’re going through the process of DNA (identification),” agency Spokeswoman Allison Waters-Merritt said.
The family said they have not yet received Raymond’s body back from the District 23 Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Augustine. Even though the family is waiting on DNA confirmation, they believe the remains found earlier this month are those of Raymond Ruiz.
“Raymond was my best friend, the other half to my soul,” Porter said in a statement. “We both agreed, because of each other and the life we created, we became better people. He was the active father in my girls' life and loved them like they were his.”
She said Raymond suffered from mental health problems since December, but when he sought help from a local behavioral health care facility, the earliest appointment offered was too far out to offer help in a timely manner.
“No one should be turned away when they are telling you how dark it has gotten for them,” Porter stated. “We need more resources, more employees, because a mental health facility shouldn't have to say they’re short-handed and that's why it's two months out (for an) appointment.”
Maria Ruiz said she knows law enforcement officers are trying their best but she wants to know more about what happened. She said she also finds it odd that officers found his body the same day the Palatka Daily News published the article about his disappearance.
“There’s too many unanswered questions,” Maria Ruiz said.
His full obituary can be found on wattsfuneralhomes.com. Raymond Ruiz was survived by numerous family members, including his mother, Gloria Gonzalez of Interlachen.
Raymond was known for being a big New England Patriots fan, riding trails in the woods in his truck, spending time with his family at cookouts and taking his children swimming, his obituary states.
“I have my sisters but it doesn’t feel the same,” Maria Ruiz said. “He was the life of everything.”