Newhall man questioned about death

Body found Saturday at Pyramid Lake ID’d as local resident

Homicide detectives probing the stabbing death of a man — now identified as a Newhall resident — whose body was found Saturday near Pyramid Lake and the Piru Creek Campground have named a 27-yearold dishwasher as a “person of interest” in the murder.

Salvador Rodriguez, also of Newhall, was arrested shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly having violated a condition of his parole, Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau told The Signal Wednesday.

“He is a person of interest and he was arrested on a parole hold,” Corina said, noting detectives were expected to interview Rodriguez about the murder Wednesday.

Generally, a parole hold authorizes deputies to detain someone suspected of having violated a condition of their parole.

Investigators also learned Wednesday, the identity of the man who was stabbed and left for dead in a remote river bed.

“The victim is Josue Salvadore Antonez, 29, of Newhall,” Corina said, adding Antonez and Rodriguez knew each other.

“They may have gone up to the (Piru) Creek Campground together,” Corina said.

On Saturday, around 5:40 p.m., the body of a man – now identified as Antonez – was found near Frenchman’s Flat on the Golden State

Continued from A1 Highway Old Road. He had been stabbed, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

On Monday, after a weekend of investigation, Det. John O’Brien with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau labelled the case a homicide.

“It was the stabbing of a male Hispanic who we have not yet identified,” O’Brien said, noting only that the victim appeared to be in his 30’s. “We don’t have anything so far,” he said. There was no ID or vehicle found with the body. Paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fire Department who responded to reports of the body being found there pronounced the man dead at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, Brian Elias, coroner spokesman said Monday.

“He was down in the river bed area,” Elias said. “We’re not sure if he was in the water or not, but in the river bed.”

Rodriguez was expected to be interviewed by detectives Wednesday, Corina said.