A California man killed a DoorDash driver and hid his body in the trunk of a Tesla, according to authorities and local reports. He then allegedly tried to evade officials by using multiple identities.
It took three months of investigation by the California Highway Patrol, but Manuel Adrian Salceda, 39, was found and arrested. On Monday, he was charged with murder in the death of Hollister resident Javier Becerril Jr.
Becerril was found in the trunk of the Tesla sedan on July 9 on State Route 152 in Merced County. The 42-year-old was identified by local news station KFSN as a DoorDash delivery driver who frequently fulfilled orders at a Safeway supermarket in Hollister. Fellow delivery workers built a memorial outside the grocery store, according to the station.
Manuel Adrian Salceda, 39, was charged with one count of murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was also charged with six special enhancements, including for premeditated murder, threatening or dissuading witnesses, and because the alleged crime involved great violence.
The CHP said in a statement Tuesday that it arrested Salceda “without incident” at a gas station on Road 8 near Interstate 5 in Woodland following a three-month investigation conducted by detectives in its Central Division Major Crimes Unit.
According to the statement, Salceda used multiple identities to evade detection. When CHP detectives on Oct. 11 learned that a vehicle believed to be transporting Salceda was seen near Dublin, they tracked it across several Bay Area counties, ultimately leading them to the gas station.
Becerril had been physically assaulted before his body was placed in the trunk, according to the CHP.
Salceda is the sole suspect in the case, according to CHP spokesperson Gregorio Rodriguez.
He had a criminal history, according to court documents, and had previously been incarcerated. In 2010, he was charged with making criminal threats in Santa Clara County, documents show.
Salceda’s arraignment took place in Merced County Superior Court on Monday. The next hearing is set for Nov. 4 at Los Banos Courthouse, according to Moises Onsurez, a spokesperson with the Merced County District Attorney’s Office.
It was not immediately clear whether Salceda has a lawyer.
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