Riverside DA seeking help ID’ing family of cold case victim from 1989

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Riverside District Attorney is asking for the public’s help in identifying family members of a 1989 murder victim who investigators believe may have had ties to San Diego.

According to the district attorney, Jorge Lopez-Serrano was discovered dead in a ravine off Highway 79, just south of Interstate 10 near Beaumont, in March 1989.

Police found the Mexican national with a single gunshot wound to the chest. At the time, he was wearing a “Cacharel” brand green and tan short-sleeve shirt and “DeeCee” brand white jean work pants.

Camp Pendleton Marine sentenced in DUI crash that killed 12-year-old

Lopez-Serrano was considered a “John Doe” up until recently, when investigators were able to successfully identify him. The Mexican Consulate confirmed his identity, adding that there were records from two years prior to his death of him residing in La Paz, Mexico with a wife and children.

The victim had been arrested several times in the late 1980s. According to the district attorney, at least one arrest was by U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Diego for the suspected smuggling of undocumented immigrants. Another arrest was tied to suspected vehicle theft in Los Angeles.

Investigators say Lopez-Serrano may have also used multiple names and dates of birth, based on these arrest records. A photo of Lopez-Serrano can be found below.

“To bring closure to this case, Cold Case Unit investigators are appealing to the public for any information that may lead to the identity of family members of Lopez-Serrano,” the district attorney said in a release on Wednesday. “This includes details about missing persons or any other relevant information that could assist in the investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the lead investigator on the case, Jason Corey, by contacting Riverside County’s Regional Cold Case Unit by phone at 951-955-5567 or email at coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.