A 24-year-old California man was arrested last week after a police chase and charged with the murder of his mother, whose body was found in the trunk of the car.
The El Cajon Police Department said it was called to a Motel 6 last week by Richard Leyva’s brother, who told them he’d gone to check on his mother, 51-year-old Jamison Webster, when she didn’t return from visiting Leyva.
When he arrived, he said, he found his mother’s body in the trunk of her black Hyundai Sonata. After an altercation with the brother, Leyva got into the Hyundai and drove away, striking his brother in the process. The brother was not injured, and he called for police who quickly located the Hyundai.
Leyva fled from the officers when they attempted a traffic stop, however, and spend away, striking two other vehicles in the process, which ultimately ended the pursuit. Officers still had to deploy a Taser to subdue Leyva.
Officers found Webster’s body in the trunk and booked Leyva into jail on charges of homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, and evading law enforcement.
Leyva pleaded not guilty at a court appearance on Friday, KFMB reported. A prosecutor said that the investigation into Webster’s cause of death is ongoing, but that there is “evidence of strangulation.”
He was ordered held without bail.
