Body found in Petaluma ditch identified

The man found dead last Thursday in a west Petaluma drainage ditch was Jonathan Wagers, 59, of Petaluma, according to the Sonoma County Coroner's Office.

The cause of his death is still pending as the coroner's office awaits a toxicology report that could take two weeks or more to complete, said coroner's Sgt. Greg Stashyn. There was nothing to indicate foul play, he said.

Wagers was found face down in standing water behind the Town and Country Shopping Center, not far from the police department.

Wagers was known to homeless advocates in Petaluma. He intermittently showed up for dinners provided by Committee on the Shelterless since around 2001, said Mike Johnson, executive director of COTS. While he seemed friendly, Wagers didn't always get along or mix well with other clients, Johnson said, describing him as "a loner."

"He'd come in to eat and then he'd be gone," Johnson said.

He was last seen at COTS several months ago, Johnson said.