With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Police Link Man Found Shot In Car To Three Bodies Found In Burning SUV
A man who was found shot dead in a car in Fontana is related to the deaths of three others who were found in a burning SUV in Orange, investigators say.
On November 9, the bodies of three men were discovered inside a burning SUV that was seen drifting down the 500 block of East Oakmont Avenue in Orange. Six days later, police say they found another body in the backseat of a car in Fontana, KTLA reports.
Police identified the victim as Joel Berrelleza, who had been reported missing on November 9. Berrelleza was the brother of one of the men found dead in the SUV, Edgar Berrelleza-Soto.
Court documents indicate that the three victims in the burning SUV—which included Antonio Medina and Fernando Meza in addition to Edgar Berrelleza-Soto—were shot and at least one of them was bound.
Support for LAist comes from
Medina and Meza told friends in Arizona, where they both lived, that they were going to California and would be back that night, according to the Press Enterprise. Police found Medina and Meza's wallets with their Arizona licenses, as well as Berrelleza-Soto's wallet, which contained Mexican identification cards and $900. Berrelleza also asked a woman if she would drive his brother's car to Mexico earlier that morning.
Police are still still looking for multiple suspects, including the driver of the SUV who was seen jumping out of the SUV and into the backseat of a small black car.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist