DA Cold Case Unit charges Santa Clara man in 1987 murder
For release on September 20, 2024
CONTACT:
Rob Baker
Deputy District Attorney
Cold Case Unit
(408) 792-2873
[email protected]
DA Cold Case Unit charges Santa Clara man in 1987 murder
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged a Santa Clara man with the murder of a local machine and sheet metal worker more than 37 years ago.
Joseph Anthony Abeyta is accused of strangling Jesus Ibarra to death with a power cord in April 1987. Evidence showed the two men knew each other and that Abeyta may have stolen Ibarra’s gold chain necklace, a ring, and his car, which was found burned near the suspect’s home.
The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today in Department 23 of the Hall of Justice in San Jose. If convicted, Abeyta faces 25-years-to-life in prison.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen said: “There is no statute of limitations on finding, arresting, and prosecuting people who hurt and kill the people of our community. Violent criminals should look over their shoulders because we’re coming.”
On April 22, 1987, Ibarra, 46-year-old, was found by family members dead inside his apartment on Nordale Avenue in San Jose. He was last seen alive by family members on Sunday, April 19, 1987. The Medical Examiner determined Ibarra died due to blunt force trauma to the neck. Ibarra’s vehicle was recovered by the San Jose Police Department on Peach Court a day before Ibarra was found. The car had been burned up from the inside.
No suspects were identified at the time, and the case went cold until DNA evidence tested this year linked Abeyta to the victim’s body and other places at the crime scene. County records also showed that one month after the murder, Abeyta was living on Peach Court, less than one block from where the victim’s car was recovered.
If anyone has any additional information about this case, please call (408) 792-2466 or email [email protected].
The case was solved due to collaboration between investigators at the SJPD Homicide Unit and the DA’s Cold Case Unit. The Cold Case Unit was established in 2011. Since then, the DA’s Office has solved over 30 cold case murders from as early as 1969. This is the third cold case homicide filed by the DA’s Office this year.
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