Toddler Swept Away In SoCal Storm Found Dead

BARSTOW, CA — Police say they've recovered the body of a toddler who was swept away during a storm in Southern California Thursday night.

Two-year-old Xavier Padilla Aguilera was with his father in the area of Main Street and Lenwood Road around 7:14 p.m. when the car they were in was swept off the roadway by floodwaters, according to the Barstow Police Department.

At some point, they got out of the vehicle and were separated by the floodwaters, according to police. Although authorities found the boy's father on an island that had been created by the floodwaters, the two-year-old remained missing through Thursday night into Friday morning.

On Friday afternoon, police announced that after an extensive search and rescue operation that lasted more than 24 hours, the boy was found dead in the San Bernardino County Flood Control channel south of the Mojave River.

"Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time," the Barstow Police Department said in a statement Friday afternoon. "We extend our deepest condolences to those affected by this tragedy."

The incident comes as a tropical storm struck down Southern California this week. A flood watch was issued to cities in Inland Empire and many others across Southern California. The storm was expected to bring several inches of rain to the Southland and parts of Mexico.

There were multiple incidents of mudslides and flooding during Thursday night's storm as torrential rains fell in some parts of the Southland. In Oak Glen, six vehicles were reported trapped by mudslides, and 15 people were sheltering along the roadside.