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 46-year-old Aliso Viejo man accused in the shooting death of a United Parcel Service truck driver in Irvine was a childhood friend and co-worker of the victim, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Rhean Jalipa Fontanoza was charged Monday with murder with a special circumstances allegation of shooting from a vehicle and murder by lying in wait. He was also facing a sentencing enhancement for shooting a gun causing death. The criminal charges stem from the killing of 50-year-old UPS driver Expedito Cuesta De Leon, also of Aliso Viejo.
The victim was driving his UPS truck when he was shot at about 3 p.m. Thursday on a street in an Irvine neighborhood.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Prosecutors released new details Tuesday about the investigation, which determined that Fontanoza was on work disability and that the victim and suspect were childhood friends and co-workers. The suspect is accused of tracking down Cuesta De Leon during the victim's shift, stopping to ask another UPS driver earlier Thursday whether the route belonged to his friend.
"When the driver told him De Leon had another route, Fontanoza is accused of going to the UPS Aliso Viejo substation where he was seen accessing a computer that shows driver routes and taking a picture with his phone," according to the statement Tuesday from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Just before 3 p.m. Fontanoza found Cuesta De Leon and drove past him in a new vehicle that his friend would not have recognized, prosecutors said. After making a delivery, returning to the truck and putting on his seat belt, Custa De Leon was shot 14 times in 19 seconds, prosecutors said.
"Authorities are still working to uncover the motive of what led to the execution of a longtime friend," prosecutors said.
Fontanoza had been on disability leave, but was scheduled to return to work on June 1.
Security camera video showed the suspect's silver Honda Ridgeline pulling up next to the UPS truck, police said. The victim was found slumped over in the driver's seat.
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.
Fontanoza was arrested after a standoff.
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.
