A man was detained following a barricade in his truck after the shooting death of a UPS driver in Irvine. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News on May 16, 2024.
A UPS driver was killed after he was shot multiple times in his work truck in Irvine on Thursday, police said.
The Irvine Police Department said on X that it received a call just after 3 p.m. about a man shot near Chrysler and Bendix. A police spokesperson told NBC4 that a UPS truck was involved and that its driver was dead.
Aerial footage from NewsChopper4 showed police tape surrounding the truck parked along a street.
Hours after the shooting, law enforcement located a pickup truck that matched the description of a suspect vehicle that witnesses provided. The driver of the pickup truck, which was located along State Route 261 and Santiago Canyon Road, has since refused to exit the vehicle and has been barricaded in it.
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After unsuccessful attempts to coax the suspected gunman out of the truck, law enforcement deployed gas and a K-9 at the man. By 6:30 p.m., authorities were able to place that individual in custody.
Rhean Fontanoza, 46, was arrested on suspicion of killing 50-year-old UPS driver Expedito Cuesta De Leon, also of Aliso Viejo, according to the Irvine Police Department.
Details on what led up to the shooting were not immediately available. Although a motive remains unclear, police don't believe the violence stemmed from a robbery since nothing was taken from the UPS truck.
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In a statement, UPS said its hearts "are heavy with the news of the loss of one of our drivers in Irvine."
"The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we are providing support and counseling services to our employees affected by this tragedy," UPS' statement read.
Any witnesses with information on the shooting were asked to call police at 949-724-7200.
