Clearlake man identified as Sonoma County shooting victim

A man whose body was found near an abandoned van on a remote Sonoma County road was identified as Antonio Botello-Arreola, 25, of Clearlake, Sonoma County sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.

Detectives suspect Botello-Arreola was killed by a trio of Lake County family members after it was discovered he was having an affair with a married woman, who then double-crossed him by arranging the deadly encounter, sheriff’s officials said.

Maria Guadalupe Torres, 40, of Clearlake; her husband, Rene Espinoza Martinez, Sr., 40; and her son, Rene Espinoza Martinez Jr., 20, were being held without bail at the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of murder and conspiracy. They’re scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today.

Botello-Arreola’s body was found Friday morning down a ravine along Porter Creek Road across from the Mark West Quarry. Authorities suspect Botello-Arreola had driven with Maria Guadalupe Torres from the Santa Rosa area to the dirt pullout on Porter Creek Road, pulling over sometime before dawn Friday, Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

Detectives believe Botello-Arreola was unaware that Torres had arranged to have her husband and son follow them to the darkened roadside, Crum said.

Torres exited the car as her family members pulled up in another vehicle alongside them, and someone in the vehicle began to shoot at Botello-Arreola, who was in the driver’s seat of a Toyota Previa van, according to Crum. Wounded, Botello-Arreola fled out the passenger door and fell down a steep drop-off into a ravine, where he died. Authorities have not said how many times he was shot. Torres and her family fled, Crum said.

His body was discovered several hours later after a passer-by saw the van about 7:40 a.m. and called the CHP.

The windows had been shot out, and there appeared to be bullet holes on the vehicle with blood inside. Law enforcement officers then found the body in the ravine.

Torres was connected to the shooting after deputies found evidence from a Santa Rosa motel in the van. They identified her through check-in information and surveillance video. Detectives arrested Torres and the Martinez men Saturday at a Lake County residence.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.