Crime & Safety
CA Woman Missing For Weeks Found Dead, Ex-Boyfriend Charged With Murder: Police
Her body was found along a rural highway weeks after her disappearance, police said.
COALINGA, CA — A California woman who was missing for weeks is believed to have been killed by her ex-boyfriend after her body was found along a rural highway, according to police.
Authorities on Saturday discovered what they believed to be the remains of Isabel Lucas Velasco of Coalinga along Highway 198 west of Coalinga, police said.
Her ex-boyfriend, 45-year-old Alejandro Soriano Ortiz of Coalinga, was arrested on suspicion of one count of murder and one count of arson in connection with the burning of Velasco’s vehicle, according to police. His brother, Celestino Soriano Ortiz, 40, of Santa Maria, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder and arson, police said.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Velasco was reported missing Sept. 13 and was last seen Sept. 12 at a job site in rural Arroyo Grande, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, which spent weeks investigating her disappearance.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call detectives at 805-781-4500, police said.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
