Police piecing together story of man found in Black River (UPDATED)

ELYRIA – Police are trying to piece together what happened to a missing Detroit man whose body was recovered from the Black River near East Bridge Street on Wednesday. Deontae Mason, 29, was last seen on surveillance footage at the GetGo station on Midway Boulevard in Elyria at about 7:30 p.m. July 21, according to Elyria Police. About an hour prior to that, Mason was pulled over by the State Highway Patrol on the Ohio Turnpike in Brownhelm Township for speeding and was found to not have a driver's license. Highway Patrol Sgt. Ray Santiago said because Mason lived out of state and didn't have a valid license, the vehicle was towed from the scene. Highway Patrol contacted the vehicle's registered owners — a member of Mason's family — and told them what was happening, Santiago said. Mason was issued a citation, explained the court process and taken to the gas station in Elyria at his request. "During that whole interaction, Mr. Mason was not observed to be impaired, he was not observed to be in any sort of mental anguish and he was not reported a missing person at that time," Santiago said. Shortly after the traffic stop, another member of Mason's family contacted Highway Patrol to find out which specific gas station he'd been taken to, Santiago said. "No red flags were raised, to my knowledge, that he was a danger to himself or anyone else," he said. "They just wanted to know where they could pick him up. … According to the conversation he had with the trooper, he had been out here before and he was on his way to Elyria to do work." Elyria Police Lt. Bill Lantz said surveillance video showed Mason walking east on Midway Boulevard after he was dropped off by Highway Patrol. "That's kind of the last time we can track him until yesterday," Lantz said. Police were called about a body in the river at 6:32 a.m. Wednesday. The Elyria Fire Department's water rescue team recovered the body. The Lorain County Coroner's Office is investigating the cause and manner of Mason's death, but Lantz said no foul play is suspected. Anyone with information is asked to contact Elyria police Detective Jim Wise at 440-326-1212 or jwise@cityofelyria.org.