Dead man in pot garden identified as Santa Rosa man

JULIE JOHNSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Napa County sheriff's officials Monday identified one of two men found dead in a marijuana garden near the Napa-Sonoma county border as Wilfredo Ronaldo Rivas-Velazquez, 43, of Santa Rosa.

Authorities also identified a suspect in the case, 21-year-old Carlos Perez.

Rivas-Velazquez and another man were found dead July 1 deep in the hills on private land west of Rutherford, Capt. Tracey Stuart said. Their bodies were near a garden of about 3,000 immature pot plants concealed in thick brush.

Rivas-Velazquez was identified through dental records, Stuart said. Detectives were waiting for DNA tests to determine the other man's identify.

Perez, who was believed to have stayed with various friends in the area, was spotted near Rutherford around June 21 or 22.

A Boonville man was arrested in connection with the marijuana plants. However Carlos Guerrero, 45, wasn't charged in connection with the killings.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor