4th Person Arrested In Connection To Santa Cruz Killing

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a fourth suspect and are searching for a fifth in connection with the killing of a man whose body was found in unincorporated Soquel earlier this month.

Bernardo Rodas, 41, of Santa Cruz, was first reported missing on Oct. 10, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies responded to a report of a body off the roadway at 2:56 p.m. Oct. 13 in the 4000 block of North Rodeo Gulch Road and found Rodas dead.

Milton Arias Molina, 22, of San Jose, a 17-year-old from Capitola and a 15-year-old from Santa Cruz were arrested on Oct. 16 on suspicion of murder.

Deputies arrested a 17-year-old from Santa Cruz on Friday, and are looking for 20-year-old Jose Leonardo Alfaro Juarez. Anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to call 911.

Some of the suspects have ties with gangs, according to sheriff's officials, but the victim had no known ties. Sheriff's officials said the motive for the murder is unclear and the suspects have given conflicting accounts of what happened.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Sgt. Dee Baldwin at (831) 454-7635 or at dee.baldwin@santacruzcounty.us.

--Bay City News Service/Shutterstock image