Crime · Merced County
Turlock Man Charged with Murder in Merced County Tesla Case
Manuel Adrian Salceda, 39, of Turlock, was arraigned on Oct. 20 in the Merced County Superior Court and charged with murder. The charge stems from the July 9 discovery of Javier Becerril Jr.'s body inside the trunk of a Tesla parked on Highway 152 in Merced County. Authorities stated that Salceda allegedly used false identities to evade law enforcement before being arrested in Woodland on Oct. 11. The case remains under joint investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the Merced County District Attorney's Office.