Arrest made after California DoorDash driver found dead in Tesla trunk

A 39-year-old California man has been charged with killing a DoorDash driver whose body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla beside a Central Valley highway more than three months ago.

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Manuel Adrian Salceda of Turlock is accused of shooting Javier Becerril Jr., 42, before placing his body in the trunk of the sedan, according to a criminal complaint filed in Merced County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Becerril, a father from Hollister in San Benito County, was found dead along Highway 152 on July 9. At around 12:19 p.m. that day, California Highway Patrol dispatchers received a report of a missing person believed to be near the highway, east of Lower Cottonwood Road, according to an earlier CHP news release. Officers from the CHP’s Los Banos office and Merced County sheriff’s deputies responded to the location, where they discovered Becerril’s body inside the trunk of a white Tesla sedan. 

A three-month investigation by the CHP’s Central Division Major Crimes Unit, which used physical evidence, surveillance footage and other leads, identified Salceda as a suspect, according to a CHP statement on Wednesday.

On Oct. 11, CHP detectives learned that Salceda was traveling in a vehicle near Dublin, the agency said. Investigators followed the vehicle’s movements through multiple counties before locating Salceda at a gas station on Road 8 near Interstate 5 in Woodland. He was arrested without incident.

The complaint alleges that the killing was deliberate and premeditated. Investigators also believe Becerril was physically assaulted before he was killed. Salceda may have used multiple identities to avoid detection by law enforcement. 

“As California’s state police, the CHP is committed to pursuing violent offenders and working with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice,” CHP Chief Damon Gilmore said in a statement. “Our detectives tracked the evidence across multiple counties to locate and arrest the suspect in Javier Becerril Jr.’s killing.”

The criminal complaint charges Salceda with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The complaint also identifies a previous felony conviction for making criminal threats in Santa Clara County in 2010. Salceda was arraigned in Merced County Superior Court on Tuesday. His next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 4, according to jail records. He is being held without bail.

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The arrest is a significant development in a case that shocked the Hollister community, where Becerril worked as a DoorDash delivery driver. Following the discovery of his body, fellow delivery drivers erected a makeshift memorial outside a Safeway supermarket where Becerril regularly picked up orders. Flowers and candles were placed outside the store in his memory, according to KFSN-TV.

In a GoFundMe appeal set up to cover funeral expenses and support his children, Becerril’s family remembered him as a devoted son, caring brother and loving father.

“He had a kind heart, a generous spirit, and was always willing to help those he loved,” the family wrote. “His smile, laughter, and the memories he created with family and friends will never be forgotten.”

The family described receiving the devastating news of his death and struggling to come to terms with the loss. “Although our hearts are shattered, we find comfort in knowing that he is now at peace and free from pain,” the GoFundMe read.

Investigators have not publicly explained the relationship between Salceda and Becerril or the alleged motive for the killing. It’s not clear who owned the Tesla that Becerril was found in. 

The investigation remains ongoing.