The suspect in the shooting murder of a UPS driver near Los Angeles is the victim’s friend and co-worker, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Expedito Cuesta De Leon, 50, was shot 14 times after making a delivery and returning to his truck last Thursday in Irvine.
Rhean Jalipa Fontanoza, 46, was charged Monday with murder by shooting from a vehicle and murder by lying in wait, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors said Thursday that Fontanoza was De Leon’s childhood friend and co-worker, but was currently on disability with an upcoming return date. He is accused of tracking down De Leon while he was making deliveries, the Orange County district attorney’s office stated.
He allegedly asked another driver which route De Leon was working that day.
“When the driver told him De Leon had another route, Fontanoza is accused of going to the UPS Aliso Viejo substation where he was seen accessing a computer that shows driver routes and taking a picture with his phone,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
After he found De Leon, the suspect drove by in a vehicle the victim would not recognize. After De Leon returned to his truck and buckled his seatbelt, he was shot 14 times in less than 20 seconds after a silver Honda Ridgeline pickup truck pulled up next to him.
De Leon was found slumped over in his seat. Officers pulled him from the vehicle and performed life-saving efforts, but he died from his injuries.
“Authorities are still working to uncover the motive of what led to the execution of a longtime friend,” prosecutors said.
Law enforcement located a truck matching the description of the suspect’s hours later and arrested Fontanoza after a standoff.
