WANTED MAN—Above, Sgt. Darin Muehler of the Simi Valley Police Department takes 35- year- old Jose Escobar- Monterrozo into custody following a possible homicide resulting from a family disturbance in the 2100 block of Lupin Street on Wednesday. At right, police carefully open the trunk of Escobar-Monterrozo’s car. After finding the body of a dead woman Wednesday afternoon, police are investigating the incident as an apparent homicide and have a Simi Valley man in custody.

Jose Escobar-Monterrozo, 35, of Simi Valley was booked in the early hours of Jan. 26 on a charge of murder. He was booked at Ventura County Main Jail and is being held on $500,000 bail.

At about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Simi Valley police officers were dispatched to a report of a family disturbance in the 2100 block of Lupin Street. When they arrived they discovered a Hispanic female dead inside the residence.

Photos by IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers According to Investigator Craig Stevens with the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, the victim was Claudia Menjivar, 33, of Simi Valley. She was Escobar-Monterrozo’s common-law wife.

The cause of death was blunt force head injuries.

While conducting the preliminary investigation and securing the scene, officers developed information that Monterrozo may be a subject of interest and still driving in the area. Police put out a description of the vehicle while also making contact with the suspect by phone. When Monterrozo drove back into the neighborhood, an officer observed his vehicle near Larch and Lupin streets and pulled him over. Monterrozo was taken into custody without incident.

The Simi Valley Police Department’s Detective Unit is handling the investigation.