San Jose police are investigating after a decomposed body was found in a red pickup truck parked near a shopping center.
Just before 7 a.m. on March 21, authorities responded to a report of “suspicious circumstances” near Francis Drive and McKee Road, the San Jose Police Department said in a Tuesday statement. The intersection is near a shopping center that houses a grocery store, nail salon and several restaurants.
When they arrived, the officers found a “severely decomposed body” inside a two-door Nissan Frontier parked in the area.
The body could not immediately be identified. But the truck’s registered owner, 40-year-old San Jose resident Aldama Refugio Jr., was reported missing earlier this year. The department has not ruled out that the body found in the truck could be Refugio’s.
“The decedent was in an advanced state of decomposition when located, and the remains have not yet been positively identified,” a spokesperson for the department said. “At this time, we are still awaiting additional information from the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine identity. As a result, Mr. Refugio remains listed as a missing person.”
Investigators believe foul play may have been involved in the death. Anyone who may have seen Refugio or have information about the discovery is urged to contact the San Jose Police Department at 4257@sanjoseca.gov or 4542@sanjoseca.gov, or by phone at 408-504-1326.
