Man Arrested After Body Found In Santa Cruz Mountains

LOS GATOS, CA — A Los Gatos man is accused of murder after police allege he killed his wife and disposed of her body in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Earlier this week, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department announced the arrest of John Maxey Yeager, 56, who investigators allege killed his wife, YingYing "Dawn" Yu, 40, in an act of domestic violence on New Year's Eve.

Officials said Yu's employer alerted police on Jan. 8 that they had not heard from her since before the holiday. When police reached out to Yeager, investigators said he gave them information that was inconsistent with what they had already learned, including the discovery of evidence of domestic violence.

According to The Mercury News, that evidence included surveillance footage from a neighbor that showed Yu fleeing the home and calling for help before Yeager caught up with her and brought her back inside.

On Jan. 10, Los Gatos investigators assembled a team that included members of the Santa Clara County's District Attorney's Office, Crime Laboratory, Special Enforcement Team, Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team, Search and Rescue and Department of Children's and Family Services to support the investigation. Police said the team worked tirelessly to find leads in the case and make sure the children in the home remained safe.

The next day, officers moved in to arrest Yeager on suspicion of domestic violence while they pursued more evidence related to his wife's disappearance.

Over the weekend, police officials said the team worked with community members in a remote area of the Santa Cruz Mountains where investigators believed Yeager had visited earlier in the year. Search teams located potential human remains, which they believed to be Yu.

"We appreciate the assistance, trust and confidence placed in us by Dawn Yu's community, colleagues and family throughout the investigation and express our deepest condolences to all who knew Dawn Yu," the department said in a statement.

According to The Mercury News, Yeager was arraigned in court Tuesday and faces charges of murder and false imprisonment. The next court hearing is scheduled for mid-March.