Jose Joel Salazar, 22, of Arvin, California, was reported missing on January 5, 2017. His body was found the next day inside his truck, abandoned in an orchard on Bear Mountain Road. The Kern County coroner ruled his death a homicide from a gunshot wound.

An Arvin Police Department investigation led to arrests in the case. Three people — 27-year-old Javier Lopez, 19-year-old Ana Banos, and 24-year-old Jorge Sosa — were taken into custody on charges related to Salazar’s murder, including accessory and gang participation; Lopez also faced an allegation of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Searches of two Arvin homes turned up 16 firearms and other evidence.

On February 1, 2017, a 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder, assault with a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and participation in a street gang, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Anyone with information about Salazar’s killing is asked to come forward.