On September 27, 2023, the body of 52-year-old Oscar Aguilar, a resident of Riverside, California, was discovered in the Santa Ana Riverbed in Jurupa Valley. Passers-by found Aguilar's body south of the intersection of Clay Street and Van Buren Boulevard and alerted authorities around 11 a.m. Upon arrival, Riverside County Sheriff's deputies confirmed that Aguilar had been fatally shot.
The area where Aguilar's body was found is known for its transient activity, with numerous homeless encampments scattered throughout the river bottom. However, investigators did not immediately disclose any potential motives or connections between the crime and the local transient population. The Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation, urging anyone with information to come forward.
After more than three months of investigation, on January 4, 2024, authorities arrested 41-year-old Justin Ronald Vanderford of Jurupa Valley in connection with Aguilar's death. Vanderford, a convicted felon, was taken into custody near Lakeview Street and Pedley Road, close to the crime scene, and booked on charges including murder, discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury, and being a felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm. He was held at the Southwest Detention Center on $2,050,000 bail, with arraignment scheduled for February 5, 2024.
Despite the arrest, authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the killing or the specific evidence that led them to identify Vanderford as the suspect. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department stated that the investigation into Aguilar's death remained ongoing and continued to encourage anyone with additional information to contact Investigator Miller at the Jurupa Valley Station or Investigator Anderson with the Central Homicide Unit.
