The body of Cal State Fullerton student Praveen Galla, who had gone missing Feb. 2, was found floating in the waters near the Newport Beach pier Feb. 9, authorities confirmed.
Galla, 23, a second-year engineering student, was reported missing by his roommates Feb. 2 when he didn’t return home, the Cal State Fullerton police said in a statement. Lifeguards at the beach found Galla’s body Feb. 9, and the Orange County coroner’s office identified it to be Galla Feb. 10.
The Indian American student had taken a ride via Uber on Feb. 1 from Fullerton to the campus and arrived there at about 5 p.m. A friend of Galla’s reported receiving a “check in” notification on his cellphone that Galla had been in the Newport Beach area, according to police.
It is believed that Galla had taken a bus from Fullerton to the beach, authorities said.
“From what I understand, he was struggling with his studies and was worried about his status in the country,” Capt. Scot Willey said in a Los Angeles Times report. “His friends said he wasn’t suicidal, but was depressed about it.”
In an e-mail to the Cal State Fullerton campus community, university president Mildred Garcia said, “Praveen was a bright young mind and a valued member of our campus. While we are still learning details of the circumstances surrounding his death, we do know that he will be missed. The entire Titan family offers our support to his family, friends and classmates during this trying time.”
This story was originally published on India West.