Suspect arrested 15 years after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Monterey County DA's office announced Wednesday that 43-year-old Noel Aguilera Ledesma has been arrested and charged with the cold-case murder of his ex-girlfriend in 2010.

The woman, according to the DA's office, was 22-year-old Yvette Martinez of Greenfield.

The DA's office says that on October 10, 2010, a vehicle was found burning off of Highway 198 and Priest Valley Road.

Investigators found Martinez's body inside the trunk of her vehicle and ruled her death a homicide, according to the DA's office.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office investigated and found that Martinez had previously been dating Ledesma, and although he was a suspect, no arrests were made, said the DA's office.

Back in July of 2020, District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni created the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force, which began investigating this case in 2022.

New evidence was discovered and led to a judicially approved warrant for Ledesma’s arrest, according to the DA's office.

District Attorney Investigators arrested Ledesma on February 4, 2025, with the assistance of the police department from Yuma where Ledesma was living at the time.

The DA's office is asking anyone with further information about Yvette Martinez's murder to contact Investigator Oliver Minnig at 831.784.5648.