Man’s Body Found in Dry Riverbed

A transient was found dead in the Ventura River bottom Thursday afternoon by another transient looking for firewood, according to the Ventura Police Department.

Joseph Richard Dupont, 27, had a New Jersey driver’s license, but had lived in Ventura for some time, said the coroner’s office.

Senior Deputy Medical Examiner James Baroni said the man had been dead a few days. He was found about 1:15 p.m. under a comforter and on top of cardboard boxes in a camp area in the dry river bottom west of the Main Street bridge.

There were no obvious signs of trauma, but authorities did not know the cause of death.