Southern California

Boyfriend Charged With Murder After Woman Found Dead in Car

The boyfriend of a woman whose body was found inside a car at her family's Southern California home was charged Monday in connection with murder, officials said.

Joel Velasquez, 49, named also as Velazquez in court documents, is accused in the death of 46-year-old Alice Kaplan-Medina, who was found in a car after family members called police Sunday afternoon, according to the Monrovia Police Department.

Relatives told officers they were concerned about the welfare of their son and his girlfriend, police said.

Police found the Velasquez in the backyard of his family's home in the 200 block of Mauna Loa Drive, and the woman's body was inside a car parked in the backyard, officials said.

The woman, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had been living in the car since leaving a rehabilitation center in April, her father said. She met her boyfriend at the treatment center, he said.

Monrovia police told NBC4 they have responded at least five times this year to the property after domestic disturbance reports.

Details regarding a cause of death were not immediately available.

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

Same-day burglaries in Playa Vista leave homeowners nervous

Orange County families running out of options as Diaper Bank runs out of money

Velasquez was expected to be arraigned Oct. 22.

Willian Avila contributed to this report.

Contact Us