Bernardo Rodas, 41, of Soquel, California, was found dead on October 13, 2018 in a steep ravine off North Rodeo Gulch Road after being reported missing three days earlier. An autopsy determined he died from multiple stab wounds to the torso and a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office arrested five suspects in the days following the discovery. Between October 16 and 19, 2018, detectives arrested Milton Arias Molina, 22, of San Jose, and three minors aged 15 to 17 from Capitola and Santa Cruz. A fifth suspect, Jose Leonardo Alfaro Juarez, 20, was arrested October 25, 2018 in Mendota after being located in a residence there with the help of the Fresno County Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium.

Authorities say the suspects have offered conflicting accounts and the motive remains unclear; some suspects have alleged gang ties while Rodas was not believed to be gang-affiliated. Anyone with information about the case is asked to come forward.