Man Arrested in Connection with Woman's Suspicious Death Near Cabazon

CABAZON, CA- A Fontana man was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in a car just off the freeway in the Whitewater area.

Rigoberto Villanueva, 39, was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The woman, whose name was withheld, was found in a car just off eastbound Interstate 10, west of White Water Cutoff Road. California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched to the area at 2:42 a.m. for what they initially believed was a car crash, but instead found the woman's body -- which displayed "obvious signs of trauma" -- inside the vehicle, said sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Buompensiero.

The officers detained Villanueva, who was seen walking away from the scene, and handed over the investigation to the Sheriff's Department, which arrested him.

The woman's cause of death remained under investigation.

— By City News Service.