Authorities have launched a homicide investigation after a Hollister DoorDash driver was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla parked along State Route 152 near Pacheco Pass. The victim has been identified as 42-year-old Javier Becerril, whose family reported him missing before officers discovered his body last Thursday. His death has rattled relatives and fellow delivery drivers in Hollister, who are waiting for answers while detectives comb through vehicle data and area footage.
CHP Treats Case as Homicide
According to the Central Division of the California Highway Patrol and reporting by the Los Angeles Times, CHP officers from the Los Banos area, along with deputies from the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, found Becerril inside the trunk of a white Tesla on State Route 152 east of Lower Cottonwood Road. Detectives with the CHP Central Division Major Crimes Unit have taken over the case and are treating the death as a homicide. Officials have not released a cause of death and have not named any suspects.
Detectives Mining Tesla Data for Leads
CHP investigators told KSBW they are closely examining the Tesla’s onboard computer along with any available camera footage in an effort to pinpoint who placed Becerril in the vehicle and when. One CHP investigator said “there are circumstances that are suspicious, and officials say the case remains very much active, with detectives following multiple leads.
Family and Community Grieve
In Hollister, fellow gig drivers and neighbors have created a small memorial in the Safeway parking lot where Becerril often picked up delivery orders, leaving flowers and handwritten notes in his honor. His family launched a GoFundMe that described him as a father, devoted son, caring brother and cherished cousin, the Los Angeles Times reports. Loved ones wrote that they have found some peace in believing he is now free from pain.
How to Help
Anyone with information is urged to contact the CHP Merced Communications Center at 209-356-2900 or the CHP Central Division Major Crimes Unit at 559-603-7740, according to reporting by the Los Banos Enterprise. Investigators are asking anyone who was driving along SR-152 near Pacheco Pass last week and noticed anything unusual to reach out directly to authorities rather than share unverified information online.
