Authorities found a California mom dead in the trunk of her car after a police chase with one of her two sons.
Jamison Webster, 51, went to visit one of her sons, Richard Leyva, at a Motel 6 in El Cajon, Calif., and when she did not return, her other son went to the motel to investigate on Tuesday, Feb. 25, according to the El Cajon Police Department.
After arriving at the motel to check on Webster and Leyva, the son — identified by a GoFundMe for Webster’s family as Xavier — found his mom’s body in the trunk of her car, a black Hyundai Sonata, according to authorities.
Following this discovery, an “altercation” happened between the two brothers, ending with Leyva, 24, getting in the car, driving off and “striking his brother in the process,” police said.
Uninjured by the collision, Xavier alerted police, who then responded to the scene and located Leyva in the vehicle. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Leyva fled.
The El Cajon Motel 6 where Richard Leyva allegedly killed his mom, Jamison Webster.
Google Maps
Leyva then led officers on a pursuit, which ended with him crashing into two other vehicles, police said, adding that the other individuals involved in the collision were uninjured.
Following the chase, officers quickly confirmed Xavier’s discovery, locating Webster’s body in the trunk of the Hyundai. Leyva, meanwhile, was taken into custody after officers subdued him using a Taser, according to police.
Leyva was booked into San Diego County Jail on charges of homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and evading law enforcement, including one count of first-degree murder.
As of Saturday, March 1, he is being held at George Bailey Detention Facility, a maximum-security facility in San Diego, according to jail records viewed.
Webster’s death is currently being investigated, police said. According to San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Yasmin Bigdeli, motel surveillance footage captured the moments leading up to and immediately following her death.
The footage allegedly shows Webster entering Leyva’s room and, hours later, depicts Leyva dragging Webster’s “lifeless body” away by the ankles, Bigdeli told CBS 8. The footage also allegedly shows Leyva putting her body in the trunk of the Hyundai, per the San Diego outlet.
The California mom’s cause of death is still under investigation, but a prosecutor said there is “evidence of strangulation,” CBS 8 reported.
According to the GoFundMe created to raise money for Webster’s funeral expenses, Leyva was “mentally ill.”
Multiple sources echoed this while speaking with CBS 8, confirming that Leyva struggled with his mental health. The outlet also reported that Leyva left a mental health facility the same day he was admitted to it, just before checking into the Motel 6.
Webster was “a kind and loving soul, beautiful both inside and out,” and “brought light, love and warmth to everyone who knew her,” according to the GoFundMe.
“She lived for her children; they were her whole world,” the fundraiser states, in part. “Her kindness, laughter and unwavering strength touched so many lives, leaving an imprint that will never fade.”
