The Riverside County man who allegedly killed his roommate and buried his body in their backyard pleaded not guilty to charges on Monday.
Officers were called to the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive, in the Arlanza neighborhood, on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at around 7:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a resident who had “not been seen or heard from in several days,” according to a statement from the Riverside Police Department.
“During their initial investigation, officers learned that one of the occupants had made statements claiming he killed his roommate,” the statement said. “That occupant was detained, and a search of the property revealed a possible crime scene in the backyard.”
Homicide detectives were called to the scene, along with specialists with the department’s Forensics Unit, the statement said.
Cadaver canines were “alerted” to an area of freshly disturbed soil in the backyard and upon digging detectives found human remains.