SHERIFF

Man Arrested in Valencia Slaying

Sheriff's detectives arrested a suspect Monday in the strangulation death of a man whose body was found in Valencia, authorities said.

"Based on interviews and evidence at the location, it was determined that the unidentified victim died at the hands of another," said Sgt. Aura Sierra of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.

Detectives arrested Christian Ortiz for suspicion of murder, Sierra said. He is 21, according to booking information.

Ortiz was booked into the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station at 3:15 a.m. and was held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to sheriff's inmate records. He was due to appear in court Thursday.

The victim has not been officially identified, but relatives told reporters at the scene he was Brayan "Brian" Rodriguez, 20, last seen Friday.

The body was discovered just before 4 p.m. Sunday, in the 23600 block of Via Valer, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said.

Deputies went to the home after receiving a call that a man was not breathing at that location. The man was dead at the scene, Navarro-Suarez said.

Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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