SAN PABLO – Authorities on Thursday arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of killing a woman and setting her body on fire earlier this month along San Pablo Creek.
Contra Costa County firefighters found the body around 1:25 a.m. on July 2 while responding to a report of a fire near the 1900 block of Road 20, according to the San Pablo Police Department.
Investigators were unable to immediately determine her identity or cause of death, but an autopsy later revealed she had suffered a traumatic blow to the head, police said.
The 40-year-old victim’s identity was not released Friday.
Investigators identified William Ramirez as a person of interest, and a warrant related to charges of murder and arson was issued for his arrest, according to police.
Both Ramirez and the woman were unhoused, police said.
On Thursday morning, officers served a search warrant in the 1800 block of 23rd Street and took Ramirez into custody. Evidence linking him to the homicide was also recovered, according to police.
Ramirez was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the warrant. He remains in custody, pending the filing of formal charges by the district attorney’s office.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 510-215-3150.
Check back for updates.
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