Sixth suspect arrested in 2014 double homicide in Merced County

A sixth man has been charged with murder in the 2014 slayings of two men whose bodies were torched in an orchard in northern Merced County in a case investigators believe involves ties to a Mexican drug cartel.

Salvador Pena-Vasquez, 21, of Livingston was arrested Thursday by the Merced County Sheriff’s Department. He was booked into the Merced County jail on a warrant issued by the District Attorney’s Office charging him with two counts of murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment, according to booking records.

Pena-Vasquez remained in custody without bail Friday.

Prosecutors and detectives on Friday declined to say what role they believe Pena-Vasquez may have played in the deaths of Reyes Garcia Barona, 29, of Atwater and Rudolpho Barona, 32, of Sacramento. The victims’ bodies were found Oct. 20, 2014, inside a torched vehicle in an orchard near East Monte Vista Avenue, east of Denair.

The Baronas were related as uncle and nephew, authorities confirmed.

“Through the course of the investigation, he (Pena-Vasquez) was determined to have been involved in the case, and the case has been under review by the District Attorney’s Office and they issued the warrant,” Detective-Sgt. Chuck Hale said.

Rob Carroll, chief deputy district attorney, said the arrest is an example of the determination and collaboration of the sheriff’s detectives and prosecutors.

“We are going to hold all the people who participated in this horrible crime responsible,” Carroll said in a telephone interview.

Merced sheriff’s detectives have said the motive may be tied to a drug debt.

Both victims were last seen by their families early on Oct. 18, 2014. They told relatives they were going to get food and never returned, deputies said.

Investigators said the victims were kidnapped, held captive and killed. Deputies have not commented on the cause of death.

During the investigation, detectives seized more than 150 pounds of marijuana buds from a home in the 6800 block of California Street in Winton, along with more than $4,000 in cash and numerous guns.

Investigators also searched a home in the 3400 block of Manchester Road in Atwater during the investigation but have not said how they believe that house was connected.

Five other suspects were arrested last year – Bernardo Rangel, 44; Heliodoro Silva Arreola, 38; Gerardo A. Silva, 26; Salvador Silva, 24; and Monico Pena, 41 – and charged with two counts of murder each in the case.

All five have pleaded not guilty. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled to begin Jan. 13, 2016, in Merced Superior Court.

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Sixth suspect arrested in 2014 double homicide in Merced County."