Crime & Safety
Riverside County, CA: Woman, 43, Found Dead; Murder Arrest Made
Anza, CA – A 40 year old Hemet man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after investigators discovered the remains of a 43 year old woman in Riverside County, authorities announced following a wee
By Dylan Reeves · 2026-10-31T02:04:34.597Z
Anza, CA – A 40 year old Hemet man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after investigators discovered the remains of a 43 year old woman in Riverside County, authorities announced following a weeklong homicide investigation.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff 's Office, deputies assigned to the Hemet Sheriff's Station responded to the intersection of Bautista Canyon Road and Willis Road in Anza at approximately 2:29 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23.
Deputies located the remains of an adult woman, prompting the department's Central Homicide Unit to take over the investigation.
Authorities later identified the victim as Jessica Rodriguez, 43, of Hemet.
Investigators determined through autopsy findings that Rodriguez was believed to have died as the result of a homicide.
During the investigation, detectives identified Joseph Rainey, 40, also of Hemet, as a suspect in her death.
On Thursday, Oct. 29, investigators located Rainey in the 1400 block of State Street and took him into custody without incident.
Detectives subsequently executed a search warrant at Rainey's residence, where they seized multiple items believed to be connected to the investigation.
Rainey was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on a murder allegation, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the suspected cause of death, a possible motive or whether Rodriguez and Rainey knew each other.
The discovery occurred in Anza, an unincorporated Riverside County community southwest of Palm Springs, while both the victim and suspect were identified as Hemet residents.
The investigation remains active, and detectives are seeking additional information from the public.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Daniel DiMaggio at 951 955 2777 .
The sheriff's office thanked community members for their assistance in the investigation.
Rainey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.