Suspect in Colusa homicide may be driving stolen van

The man sought in a Colusa homicide may be driving a stolen van, according to police.

Salvador Garcia Jr., 22, who is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, 21-year-old Karen Garcia, may be driving a black 2011 Toyota Sienna van with California license plate number 6NYB823, according to a Colusa Police Department news release. The van was reported stolen to the Williams Police Department on Friday afternoon.

Anyone who sees the van is asked to call the Colusa Police Department at 530-458-7777 or the Williams Police Department at 530-473-2661. Anyone who spots the van outside of the Colusa or Williams areas is advised to call their local law enforcement agency. Police said the van has been entered into the law enforcement computer system as stolen.

Karen Garcia’s body was found in her vehicle in a Woodland parking lot Sunday. The Yolo County Coroner’s Office determined that the young woman died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Garcia went missing Jan. 8, the day after he sister Jessica was killed along with five other people in a collision involving a wrong-way driver on Interstate 5 in Woodland. Karen was found dead in her car outside a Marshalls store about 3:45 p.m. Sunday.

Salvador and Karen had been living with their daughter Avianna, 2, in an apartment in the 400 block of Oak Street in Colusa before their breakup. A search of the apartment turned up blood evidence, as did a search of Salvador’s car, according to Colusa police Chief Joshua Fitch. Police are awaiting the results of DNA tests on the blood.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Suspect in Colusa homicide may be driving stolen van."