EL CAJON (KGTV) — A man was taken into custody after El Cajon Police said they found his mother’s body in the trunk of the car he was driving following a pursuit Tuesday afternoon.
The El Cajon Police Department said officers were called to the Motel 6 (550 Montrose Court) over a “suspicious circumstance.”
In a news release, El Cajon Police stated: “The caller reported that he went to check on his mother, who had not returned home after visiting her other son, 24-year-old Richard Leyva, who was staying at the motel. Upon arrival, the caller discovered his mother’s body in the trunk of her black Hyundai Sonata.”
According to police, investigators determined Leyva and his brother were involved in an altercation. Leyva then drove away in the Sonata, hitting his brother. Leyva’s brother was not injured, police said.
Officers spotted the Sonata near the intersection of Madison and Magnolia avenues, and when they tried to stop the car, police said Leyva sped away.
With police in pursuit, the Sonata traveled through El Cajon and into Spring Valley, before returning to El Cajon.
The driver exited Interstate 8 and collided with two other vehicles on N. Mollison. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Police said Leyva was taken into custody after officers used a Taser to subdue him. Officers then inspected the car and discovered the body of a woman in the trunk.
Police identified the deceased woman as 51-year-old Jamison Webster; her death is being investigated as a homicide, police said.
Leyva was booked into San Diego County Jail on charges of homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, and evading law enforcement.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact El Cajon Police at 619-579-3311 or SDCrimeStoppers.org.
A GoFundMe has been created to help Jamison's family pay for her funeral and other expenses.
