BALDWIN PARK – A suspect has been identified in the beating death of a 26-year-old Baldwin Park man found dead inside a motel room earlier this week, officials said.
Stephen Gonzales, 28, of West Covina, was behind bars Thursday after being arrested by deputies from the sheriff’s Industry Station Wednesday on suspicion of drug possession, Lt. David Coleman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. He was expected to be charged with the murder of Vanhxay Inthichack this week or early next week.
Inthichack’s body was discovered about 1:30 p.m. Monday inside a motel room he had rented in the 13900 block of Francisquito Avenue, investigators said.
Though it was not immediately clear how he died, an autopsy determined he had been beaten to death and the case was ultimately ruled a homicide, coroner’s officials said.
A motive in the alleged slaying was not clear, nor was the relationship between Inthichack and Gonzales.
Detectives identified Gonzales as a suspect through cell phone information and surveillance footage near the crime scene.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.