Boxes full of personal medical records were recovered in a Castroville trash can, exposing thousands of patients to the threat of identity theft and more.

Gilbert Padilla was simply throwing out trash when he found the boxes. He said he found a goldmine of information for an identity thief.

There were boxes of confidential medical records from perhaps thousands of patients.

In addition to medical conditions and treatments, there were names, addresses, phone numbers and social security numbers.

"We need to get to the bottom of it, take care of all these people,” Padilla said. “They're looking for help, not to be hurt."

The KSAT 12 Defenders traced the records to a company called Ayuda Medical Case Management located in a building on South Zarzamora Street next to the produce terminal.

The office is open but the owner said it is effectively shut down because the company lost its contract with the state in September.

Owner Fred Gonzales said the boxes ended up in a dumpster after he failed to pay the rental on his storage unit and the contents, including the boxes, were auctioned off.

Padilla said there is no excuse for making documents such as those available at a dump site. "I really feel sad that this is still going on," Padilla said.

Gonzales said he would have retrieved the boxes if he had known about the sale.

Padilla said all of the documents that he has will be disposed of properly, as will those in the hands of the KSAT 12 Defenders.