Man charged with killing missing person, burying him near I-10 in Cabazon
CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) - Update: 08/26
A man accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance and burying his remains near Interstate 10 in Cabazon has been charged with first-degree murder and other offenses.
Jesse Bruce Kennedy, 48, of Cabazon, made his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kennedy on suspicion of murder after human remains were discovered during an ongoing homicide investigation.
At approximately 12:23 a.m. on Aug. 22, investigators from the Sheriff’s Office Central Homicide Unit located human remains in the area of Williams Avenue and Poplar Street in Cabazon.
According to court records, the victim was identified as Cristian Nieto Valenzuela, who was reported missing last week. Nieto, 33, was last seen on Tuesday, August 11, in the Cabazon Area.
During the investigation, detectives identified Kennedy as a suspect in the homicide. Kennedy was located near Williams Avenue and Poplar Street and taken into custody without incident.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Nick Ramirez at (951) 955-2777 or Cabazon Sheriff’s Station Investigator Birmingham at (951) 922-7100.
Update: 08/23
An arrest has been made in connection to human remains found in Cabazon early Saturday morning, during a homicide investigation.
Around 12:23 a.m. on August 22, investigators from the Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit located human remains in the area of Williams Avenue and Poplar Street.
During the investigation, the Central Homicide Unit identified a 48-year-old resident of Cabazon, as the suspect in this murder.
The suspect was then located and taken into custody without incident.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the 48-year-old was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for murder. Authorities say this remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
Original Report: 08/22
CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) - Human remains were discovered in Cabazon early Saturday morning as investigators followed up on an ongoing homicide investigation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit was conducting follow-up work around 12:23 a.m. on August 22 in the area of Williams Avenue and Poplar Street.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about the remains or identified the person.
Authorities say the investigation remains active.
