Phoenix warehouse teams find the body of a missing man three days after a roof collapse

Phoenix officials have located the body of a warehouse worker who had been missing for three days following a roof collapse caused by a storm at a large commercial building in Phoenix. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday when a microburst lifted the roof off Freeport Logistics in west Phoenix. Firefighters initiated a search and rescue mission, and by 1 p.m. on Saturday, they discovered the body near the center of the building, where the worker was last seen.

The deceased is believed to be 22-year-old Oswaldo Montoya. The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the death, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner will confirm the identity. Capt. Todd Keller of the Phoenix Fire Department expressed sorrow, stating, “Oswaldo was a hard worker, working night shifts to support his family. This is not the outcome we hoped for.”

Montoya’s family was present at the scene and informed of his death. Friends and family remembered him as a dedicated father, brother, son, and son-in-law.

The search effort, which lasted three days, involved drones and rescue dogs. Crews worked in 12-hour shifts and used heavy equipment to clear nearly 50,000 pounds of concrete and debris from the building, focusing on the center and north side. The collapse, described as catastrophic, involved racks of products stacked 40 feet high, which piled up when the roof collapsed. Structural engineers assisted in the hazardous environment to prevent further collapse, and the fire department exhausted all available resources.