Missing Santa Cruz man shot and stabbed to death
UPDATE: 10/26/2018 11:06 a.m. A fifth suspect has been arrested for the murder of Bernardo Rodas.
20-year-old Jose Leonardo Alfaro Juarez was arrested Thursday in Mendota.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s detectives heard that Juarez was hiding at a house in Mendota. Fresno County Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium assisted deputies and arrested him.
He is booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.
Juarez is one of two adults and three minors arrested for Rodas’ murder.
41-year-old Rodas was reported mission on October 10, and his body was found on October 13 off upper North Rodeo Gulch.
An autopsy showed that he had died from a combination of stab wounds and a gunshot wound.
If you have any more information, you’re asked to call Sergeant Dee Baldwin at (831) 454-7635.
UPDATE: 10/23/2018 12:59 p.m. Four suspects are behind bars for the brutal murder of a Santa Cruz man and a fifth suspect is still on the loose.
The victim, 41-year-old Bernardo Rodas was reported missing on Oct. 10. His body was found off the roadway on upper North Rodeo Gulch on Oct. 13.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office pathologist said Rodas died from a combination of multiple stab wounds to his torso and a gunshot wound to his head.
On October 16th, Sheriff’s detectives arrested 22-year-old Milton Arias Molina from San Jose (Pictured below), a 17-year-old from Capitola and a 15-year-old from Santa Cruz for Rodas’ murder.
A 17-year-old suspect was arrested on Oct. 19.
Detectives are currently looking for 20-year-old Jose Leonardo Alfaro Juarez as a fifth homicide suspect. (Pictured below)
“Detectives continue to investigate the murder of Mr. Rodas. There is evidence some of the suspects = participating in the murder are gang-involved. There is no evidence Mr. Rodas was a gang member. The motive for the killing is unclear and suspects have given conflicting accounts about what happened. Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate to determine if additional suspects are involved in the case,” said Undersheriff Craig Wilson.
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Three arrests have been made for the murder of a Santa Cruz man.
41-year-old Bernardo Rodas’ body was found off a roadway on North Rodeo Gulch.
On October 16th, Sheriff’s detectives arrested 22-year-old Milton Arias Molina from San Jose, a 17-year-old from Capitola and a 15-year-old from Santa Cruz for Rodas’ murder.
A forensic autopsy is in-progress. The pathologist has determined the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death is pending completion of the examination.
Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate the murder of Mr. Rodas. The Sheriff’s Office is not ready to release information about motive, suspect gang affiliation or if there are additional suspects.
The case has been referred to the District Attorney for prosecution.
Molina was denied bail. He is expected to enter a plea at his next court date on Nov. 2.
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The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the suspicious death of a Santa Cruz man.
On Saturday, the office received a report of a body found in the 4000 block of North Rodeo Gulch. Patrol deputies and medical first responders found the body of a deceased male about 75 feet off the roadside.
The victim has been identified as 41-year-olf Bernardo Rodas, of Santa Cruz. Rodas was reported as a missing person on October 10, 2018.
The case is being investigated as a homicide by Sheriff’s detectives and crime scene investigators. An autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death will take place later this week.
Sheriff’s detectives are asking for help from the public to determine where and when Rodas was last seen alive. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sergeant Dee Baldwin at 831.454.7635 or email at Dee.Baldwin@santacruzcounty.us.
