Edgar Berrelleza-Soto, 26, of Orange, California, was found dead on November 9, 2015, in a burning SUV in a quiet Orange neighborhood. Two other men, Antonio Medina and Fernando Meza of Arizona, were also found in the vehicle. Authorities determined all three had been shot before the fire was set, and the incident was classified as a homicide.

Investigators tied the killings to a larger murder plot connected to drug trafficking. Alejandro Guerrero Ruiz, 23, was charged in the killings after being apprehended in Texas and linked to the scene by DNA. Prosecutors said drugs were a significant motive. Six days after the burning SUV was found, Edgar’s brother, Joel Mauricio Berrelleza, was found shot to death in Fontana.

Later prosecution alleged the Berrelleza brothers ran a drug-smuggling operation worth about $2 million a year and that Rosario Roman-Lopez orchestrated the plot to settle debts and seize control. Raul Gastellum Flores was implicated in the conspiracy and was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in 2024.

Did anyone who knew Edgar or the Berrelleza brothers see signs of this escalating conflict before November 2015?