California UPS Worker Faces Murder Charge After Colleague Fatally Shot in Work Truck: Police

Law enforcement officials in California said a UPS driver was found shot to death in his truck, and now his co-worker has been charged with killing him.

Around 3 p.m. on May 16, police in Irvine responded to the scene after receiving multiple reports of shots fired, according to arrest reports obtained by KABC.

At the scene, officers found 50-year-old Expedito Cuesta De Leon slumped over in the driver’s seat of his UPS truck. They pulled him from the vehicle and began life-saving efforts, but he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.

Hours later, officers arrested 46-year-old Rhean Fontanoza and charged him with De Leon's murder, noting the two men were “acquaintances” who both lived in Aliso Viejo and worked for UPS.

A possible motive for the shooting remains unclear. Detectives said nothing was taken from the truck, and alleged Fontanoza may have targeted the victim.

According to police, investigators tracked Fontanoza after they recovered surveillance video allegedly showing a Honda Ridgeline pickup truck pull alongside the UPS truck before driving away.

Deputies later spotted a vehicle matching the description of the Honda. Officers from the Irvine Police Department arrived on the scene and confirmed it appeared to be the same truck seen in the surveillance footage.

Authorities said armored police vehicles boxed the truck in, and Irvine SWAT officers took the suspect into custody.

Never miss a story — sign up for the Front Page Detectives newsletter. Be on the scene the moment news breaks.

In a statement released after the deadly shooting, UPS said, “Our hearts are heavy with the news of the loss of one of our drivers in Irvine, CA, and we are assisting authorities to understand what happened.”

The investigation is ongoing.