Alyssa Nicole Salazar, a 33-year-old mother of two from Salinas, California, was last seen on July 26, 2023. Surveillance footage captured her leaving the Steinbeck Library in Salinas around 12:30 p.m., entering the front passenger seat of a gray 2007 Honda Accord driven by her ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old Ivan Alfaro Escobedo. Approximately three minutes later, she made a phone call from Escobedo's phone, marking her last known communication.
Salazar's family reported her missing on August 10, expressing deep concern as she was known to frequent the Gilroy and Salinas areas. The investigation led authorities to a property in unincorporated Santa Clara County, associated with Escobedo's sister. Witnesses reported seeing Escobedo at the property on July 26, with Salazar appearing motionless in the passenger seat of his car. They also noted fires burning in barrels near the trailer for several days in late July.
On August 30, police arrested Escobedo during a traffic stop, discovering a 9mm handgun and bloodstains in his vehicle. DNA analysis confirmed the blood matched Salazar's. A search of the property revealed burned human bones, including pieces of ribs, skull, and hand, in a barrel, as well as bloodstains in the bathtub, both matching Salazar's DNA. Witnesses reported that Escobedo admitted to shooting Salazar in his car, dismembering her body in the trailer's bathtub, and burning her remains in the barrels.
Prior to her disappearance, in April 2023, Salazar had reported to Gilroy Police that Escobedo, then her boyfriend, had raped and physically assaulted her. An arrest warrant was issued for Escobedo in May. In July, Salazar's family received threatening phone calls from a man they believed to be Escobedo, who threatened to kill Salazar and her family if she pursued the rape allegations.
Escobedo, already in custody for charges related to the previous case involving Salazar, now faces charges for her murder. He is being held without bail and could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison if convicted. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information to contact the Gilroy Police Department.
