Friends and family of deceased Fontana man want more police help
Friends and family of a Fontana man whose body was found inside a charred vehicle late Friday night are upset because they said police failed to more aggressively investigate the man’s initial disappearance.
Alejandro Padilla, 40, was found dead inside a parked vehicle in the 1000 block of West Etiwanda Street in Rialto about 10 p.m. after firefighters extinguished a blaze that had engulfed the car, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s office.
“Right now our focus is to be here supporting the family” and to pressure the Fontana police “to step up,” said Carlos Granados, a close friend of Padilla’s.
Granados said that Padilla left his house in the 6800 block of Beechcraft Avenue a little before 5 a.m. Friday morning.
“Then as he was getting into his car … the attack happened,” Granados said. He said it was unclear if more than two men attacked Padilla and that “a brutal beating happened” before he was abducted.
Arriving at the scene, police found blood on the driveway and a broken bat. Padilla and his black 2009 Nissan Versa were missing.
“The Fontana Police Department decided not to put out information on the car,” Granados said. “Not sure for what reason, but we feel that was a big mistake on their part.”
He said that police also did not take a ski mask found nearby and possibly worn by one of the suspects as evidence. The family is planning a 4 p.m. news conference to discuss the case.
Police officials have declined to comment.
Padilla had a wife and two daughters and moved into the Fontana home, across the street from his brother, about three weeks ago, Granados said.
He said friends and family were stunned by the attack because Padilla, a sales person for Coca-Cola, is “a very friendly guy, he has no enemies at all.”
“Really, we’re mind-boggled by all this,” Granados said.
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