On the afternoon of Thursday, July 6, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office patrol conducted a welfare check for a man who had not shown up to work at an Uptown computer store, which was unusual.

The man’s roommate said the man, later identified as 38-year-old Jeancarlo “J.C.” Escruceria was an avid hiker and would often hike the Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock trails.

Deputies later located Escruceria’s vehicle at the Bell Rock parking lot but were not able to reach him by cellphone. YCSO pinged his phone, which showed that he was in the area.

Deputies followed up with friends and Escruceria’s employer, who all reported that they did not think there was concern for his mental state.

Escruceria’s roommate said it was not unusual for the victim to go on “random hikes” and that he was very familiar with the Bell Rock area. There was no reason at that time to think Escruceria was in danger until later that evening when he was still absent.

Deputies kept the call open, staying on standby to see if Escruceria returned home. When he had not, YSCO called for a DPS Ranger helicopter, which had difficulty searching in the darkness.

The YCSO Backcountry Search and Rescue Unit deployed to hike some of the easier areas and be prepared for a rescue in the case that the helicopter was able to locate Escruceria, which it was not able to do.

At 6 a.m. on Friday, July 7, the Back Country Search and Rescue Search Dog Unit and Verde Search and Rescue were called in to continue the search.

Searchers included hikers, dog units, technical rescuers, a mountain bike team and a drone team. Verde Search and Rescue searched the top area of Bell Rock. This team was able to reach high on the mountain and visually inspect each of the deep crevasses in its sides, where they saw something that looked out of place in one of the crevasses.

After hiking to the area, they found the missing man’s body. Deputies believe Escruceria appeared to have been taking one of the main trails to the top of the mountain. The section he was in was extremely technical and it appeared that Escruceria may have slipped and fallen to his death.

Escruceria’s body was recovered by the Back County SAR technical ropes unit so it could be returned to his family.

Escruceria was a head computer technician at an Uptown shop, and was well-liked by those who knew him who have posted comments to social media. His employer is working with the family to provide details about a memorial service.

Memorial Services

A blessing and celebration of life ceremony for Escruceria is scheduled for Saturday, July 29, at the Yavapai Vista, which overlooks Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, two of Escruceria’s favorite places. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m., and all are welcome. Casual attire.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with funeral expenses. It has raised $9,890 of an $8,000 goal as of July 18, but the man organizing the fundraiser has disabled additional donations.

Surplus funds will be donated to the Yavapai County Search and Rescue Team.

Escruceria graduated from East Hampton High School in East Hampton, N.Y., in 2003, then studied at Suffolk County Community College.

He moved to Sedona from Montauk, N.Y., in 2008 “after falling in love with the mountains, climate, and people,” according to the GoFundMe page. “He was known to many through his employment with the MacClinic PC Clinic, and he cherished the people who came into his life during that time. His sense of adventure, gentle nature, and upbeat personality resulted in deep and abiding friendships not just throughout the Verde Valley but around the world.”

According to the GoFundMe campaign, Escruceria “cherished the red rock country and took every opportunity to immerse himself in the natural world by hiking and climbing alone or with friends. This love lead him to an early morning solo climb at Bell Rock, a climb that he had undertaken numerous times before. To the sorrow of many, this journey ended in tragedy and resulted in his untimely passing on July 7, 2023.”