Escobar- Monterrozo Police are still working to determine a motive in the murder of a Simi Valley mother who was found dead in her home last week.

Simi Valley Police Det. Lt. Joe May said headway has been made toward determining a reason for the killing, but investigators aren’t yet comfortable revealing what they have learned.

“We have made some (progress) but the information that we have at this point we are not releasing because we still have other people we want to talk to,” said May, supervisor of the department’s Detective Unit.

Jose Escobar-Monterrozo, 35, of Simi Valley was arrested for the slaying of Claudia Menjivar, 33. She died from blunt-force trauma to the head, the Ventura County Medical Examiner said.

The suspect and the victim lived together and had a 5-year-old son together. Menjivar’s 15-year-old daughter from a previous relationship also lived in the home, a back apartment unit rented from a homeowner on Lupin Street.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s office has filed murder charges against against Escobar- Monterrozo, with the special allegation that a deadly weapon was used in commission of the crime.

Police would not specify what weapon Escobar- Monterrozo used.

According to police, at about 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, officers were dispatched to a report of a family disturbance in the 2100 block of Lupin Street.

“The 15-year-old daughter of the victim came home from school and found her mom in the back apartment where they lived, found her in there dead,” May said.

The teen ran to a neighbor’s house and the two went back to check on Menjivar. They then called the police.

May said that responding offi cers were concerned at the time that the 5-year-old boy had been abducted because he wasn’t in the home. Escobar-Monterrozo was a person of interest.

“At that point we started working up information to initiate an Amber Alert to try to locate the suspect,” the lieutenant said. “During the course of trying to determine (where) the 5-year-old had (gone) missing, we received information that he had been dropped off at friend’s house nearby. . . . So within an hour of receiving the call we knew the kid was safe.”

Shortly thereafter, police made contact with Escobar-Monterrozo. Officers tried to convince him to go to the police station, May said, but he came to the crime scene instead.

An officer observed Escobar- Monterrozo’s vehicle, pulled him over, and he was taken into custody without incident around 7 p.m.

Escobar- Monterrozo was booked at Ventura County Main Jail in the early morning hours of Jan. 26 and was being held on $500,000 bail.

The next day, he had his first court appearance. The defense requested a continuance and Escobar Monterrozo was remanded back into custody, with his bail bumped up to $510,000.

However, although bailable on the murder charge, it was learned that Escobar-Monterrozo is not of legal status. He has felony deportation proceedings pending against him, which revoked his bail.

Escobar- Monterrozo’s arraignment was continued until Feb. 17.

Since he is charged with a violent crime, Escobar-Monterrozo would be eligible to go to state prison if convicted.

Detectives wrapped up processing the crime scene and re- leased it back to the homeowners, but the investigation is ongoing, May said.

The 15- year- old and the 5-year-old are staying together with family.

May said officers had not responded to previous calls for service regarding Menjivar and Escobar-Monterrozo at the location on Lupin Street. Still, May said, prior domestic violence incidents could have gone unreported.

Whether this was the first or last incident of domestic violence between the couple is unclear, but the lieutenant said it brings up the importance of people reporting an abusive relationship.

“We would encourage people to make those reports or at least if they don’t want to report it . . . to not turn a blind eye to domestic violence, regardless of whether this occurred before or not,” he said. “People need to get the assistance to ensure these types of domestic violence incidents don’t happen.”

Menjivar was a student in Simi Valley Adult School’s cosmetology program. Her classmates are putting together a fundraiser to benefit her children.

The Cosmetology School, located at 3340 Los Angeles Ave., will donate proceeds from salon services on Wed., Feb. 8. Cash donations or gift cards will also be accepted.

For more information on times and services, call the school at (805) 579-6275.