Salvador Valdavinos, 34, of Hanford, California, was killed on December 31, 2018, following a New Year’s Eve party hosted by Joe Trejo. An officer nearby heard gunfire and responded, but the full scope of the incident did not come to light immediately.

Valdavinos was reported missing by his family on January 1, 2019, after he failed to return home. Investigators later found his body in a shallow grave at the corner of 9th Avenue and Hanford Armona Road on January 5. Police say Trejo helped Reyna move Valdavinos’ body from the scene to the burial site. Trejo was arrested during a traffic stop on January 4; Reyna was arrested January 5. Both were charged in connection with Valdavinos’ murder, and Trejo faced additional counts for moving human remains and intimidating a witness. Pete Reyna was later arrested as an accessory and police sought to question Mark Valdivia, known as Mark Tafolla.