Federal agents on scene at Salton City property tied to T’Neya Tovar murder case

SALTON CITY, Calif. (KESQ) A large law enforcement operation is underway Tuesday on Harlequin Court in Salton City, where crews are actively digging at the property where Abraham Feinbloom, the man charged with murdering 17-year-old T'Neya Tovar, was arrested in February.

The Imperial County Sheriff's Office confirmed to News Channel 3 that the FBI is the lead agency in Tuesday's operation. The street is blocked off, and a canopy has been set up near the dig site. News Channel 3 crews on scene observed excavators and heavy machinery actively working on the property.

Authorities have not said whether the operation is connected to the investigation into Tovar's death or the case against Feinbloom. News Channel 3 has reached out to the FBI and is awaiting a response.

A neighbor told News Channel 3 earlier Tuesday that digging began in the rear of Feinbloom's property and an adjacent lot, marking the first large-scale law enforcement activity on the street since the Feb. 13 search warrant that ended in Feinbloom's arrest.

Only a portion of Tovar's remains has ever been recovered. A leg found Dec. 21, 2025, near Portsmouth Avenue and Newhaven Court in the Vista Del Mar area less than a mile from the Harlequin Court home was identified through DNA testing as Tovar's, a match News Channel 3 was first to report. Her family has publicly pleaded for the recovery of the rest of her remains.

Tovar, of Hemet, was reported missing Dec. 1, 2025. During a three-day preliminary hearing in April, an FBI agent testified a friend dropped Tovar off at the Harlequin Court home that day, and prosecutors presented cellphone data placing her devices at the property before she disappeared, along with video showing Tovar and Feinbloom together inside the home.

Feinbloom, was arrested Feb. 13 when the Imperial County Sheriff's Emergency Response Team and the FBI served a search warrant at the home. Investigators said he attempted to jump a fence as deputies arrived and was carrying his passport and Thai currency. Testimony at the preliminary hearing revealed travel records showing he had purchased a flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong departing four days after his arrest.

He is charged with one count of murder with a firearm enhancement and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

This is a developing story. Stay with News Channel 3 for updates on air and online.