Five months since British actor Julian Sands went missing, human remains have been found around the San Gabriel mountains.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said civilian hikers had contacted authorities on Saturday (June 24) morning after finding the remains in the Mount Baldy area.

The remains have been taken to the Coroner’s Office waiting for identification, the department said.

They also added that the identification should be completed next week, at which point the department will issue a press release.

Human remains found in area actor Julian Sands went missing

On January 13, Sands, 65, failed to return from a hike in the Mount Baldy area of the southern Californian mountains.

The actor is best known for his roles in films A Room With A View, Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock, as well as TV appearances on 24, Smallville and Banshee.

Sand’s family released a statement earlier this week sharing that they were continuing to keep him “in our hearts with bright memories”.

“We are deeply grateful to the search teams and co-ordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian,” a family statement, issued on Wednesday by the sheriff’s department, read.

“We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer.”

The sheriff’s department added although Sands had not been found during searches on June 17, the case remained active.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department previously said its goal was “to bring closure” to Sands’ family.