Body of missing 27-year-old found in Azusa Canyon; man arrested on suspicion of murder

Investigators found the body of a missing 27-year-old man in Azusa Canyon on Saturday, a day after announcing they had arrested another man in connection with his disappearance.

The body of Rakheem Reyes, a professional dancer who went by the name “Rocky,” was discovered in a remote area five days after he was last seen, West Covina police said in a statement Sunday.

Police said that a man was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the case. Philip Von Wade, 20, was being held on $1-million bail and was scheduled to appear in a Pomona courtroom Monday, authorities said.

Detectives are still trying to determine a motive behind the killing, said Officer Eddie Flores, a West Covina police spokesman. Police believe the two men knew each other, Flores added, but the extent of that relationship was unclear.

Investigators are waiting for the coroner’s office to determine how and when Reyes died, Flores said.

Reyes’ family asked for privacy in a message posted on a Facebook group created to help find him. The comments confirmed “with great sadness” that his body had been found, then thanked those who had helped with the search or offered prayers.

“We are deeply heart broken,” the statement said. “God bless you and god bless our son, Rocky.”

Friends and family flooded social media this week, posting pictures of Reyes and begging for the public’s help.

He was last seen Monday evening, police said. His abandoned car was found later that day — the engine still running, with his personal items inside, according to the Facebook page.

kate.mather@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @katemather

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UPDATES:

4:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the investigation.

This article was originally published at 3:40 p.m.