Body found in Saratoga Hills believed to be man missing since June; 3 suspects arrested for murder
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A body believed to be that of a San Jose man missing since June was found in the Saratoga Hills on Thursday, and three men were arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said.
The San Jose Police Department said in a press release Friday that officers responded on June 22 to Wool Creek Drive near Senter Road in South San Jose for a report of a missing unhoused person who was last seen on June 19. The man’s family and friends suspected foul play because his bicycle was found abandoned near a creek trail, a short distance from blood stains and spent bullet casings, police said.
The Santa Clara County Crime Lab confirmed the bloodstains at the scene matched those of the missing person, police said. During the course of a months-long investigation, homicide detectives identified two suspect vehicles near the location where the missing person was last seen, and later determined that San Jose residents Juan Flores-Gonzalez, 44, Julio Espinoza-Chavez, 43, and Miguel Cortez, 41, were the primary suspects in the disappearance, police said.
Based on circumstantial evidence, detectives also determined that the missing person had been murdered and was likely buried in the Saratoga Hills area, near Highway 9, police said. After obtaining search and arrest warrants, police arrested all three suspects on Tuesday with the help of the department’s undercover unit.
The three were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on murder charges and were being held without bail.
On Thursday, detectives using cadaver dogs from the county’s Search and Rescue unit found the remains of an adult male in the Saratoga Hills area, near Highway 9. The identity of the remains will be released by the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner pending confirmation.
“This case was as complex as it was compelling,” said Police Chief Paul Joseph in a prepared statement. “Our detectives handled it with care, compassion, and relentless determination. Their work once again shows why our Homicide Unit maintains a 100% solve rate and is a reflection of their unwavering commitment to justice.”
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact Detective Sergeant Martinez #3934 or Detective Jize #4324 of the Police Department’s homicide unit at 3934@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4324@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-277-5283.
