Investigators say a months-long probe led to a murder charge after the victim was found 75 feet down a mountain embankment.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A Southern California man was charged with murder in the death of his estranged wife, whose body was found along a steep embankment near Crestline on Nov. 18, 2025. Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, was arrested Jan. 23 in Rolling Hills and is being held without bail.
Prosecutors in San Bernardino County said they filed one count of murder last week in the death of 58-year-old Aryan Papoli of Newport Beach, moving the case from a weeks-long investigation into the courts. Authorities initially treated the discovery as an apparent fall off Highway 138, but the coroner later ruled the death a homicide. The charge comes as detectives piece together Papoli’s final movements between Orange County and the San Bernardino Mountains, and as relatives in Newport Beach prepare for a first appearance in Superior Court. Jail records list Goodarzi at the Central Detention Center with no bail authorized pending arraignment.
Detectives said Papoli was located about 75 feet down an embankment near Highway 138 and Crestline Road on Nov. 18, a few days before she was reported missing from Newport Beach on Nov. 22. She was identified on Dec. 1 after investigators circulated a forensic sketch to the public. In a statement announcing the filing, the district attorney’s office said it had “filed murder charges” under Penal Code 187(a). The agency did not release a suspected motive and did not detail how Papoli was killed. “Homicide” remains the official manner of death, with the precise cause not disclosed in charging documents.
Authorities said Goodarzi, a longtime tech executive, was taken into custody without incident at his home in Rolling Hills and booked into the San Bernardino County jail system. The sheriff’s department said detectives gathered evidence over several weeks between the mountain search area and locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Records show Papoli and Goodarzi were estranged at the time. Officials have not said whether surveillance footage, phone data or vehicle records played a role in the arrest. They also have not indicated whether they believe Papoli was pushed, fell during a struggle or suffered injuries elsewhere and was left near the embankment. Prosecutors said aggravating circumstances were alleged in the filing but did not specify them publicly.
Public records and family statements depict Papoli as a former corporate executive and community advocate who lived in Newport Beach and had business ties with Goodarzi over the years. The mountain location where she was found—on a winding stretch above the Inland Empire—draws heavy weekend traffic and occasional closures for weather and rockfall. Deputies often respond to wrecks and rescues in the area. Investigators initially noted trauma consistent with a fall, but the coroner’s later determination shifted the case to homicide detectives, who retraced travel routes between the coast and Crestline and reviewed past calls for service involving the couple.
Court officials said Goodarzi’s first appearance was expected Tuesday at the San Bernardino Justice Center, where a judge would consider counsel, enter a not guilty plea if offered, and set a schedule for future hearings. If a plea is entered, a readiness conference and a preliminary hearing date would typically follow, where a judge decides whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. Prosecutors said additional filings could be added as evidence is reviewed. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s department said the investigation remains active and asked anyone with information about Papoli’s movements in mid-November 2025 to contact detectives through the homicide detail.
On the mountain highway Monday, chains of brake lights wound past turnout points and a roadside memorial of candles and flowers near the pullout where searchers worked in November. Neighbors in Newport Beach described Papoli as energetic and generous; one resident said she “lit up a room” and often talked about art and family. A driver who uses the two-lane route to Crestline said the shoulder where she was found is narrow and unforgiving. “You look away for a second and you’re in trouble,” he said, noting the grade and lack of guardrails on some bends.
As of Tuesday morning, Goodarzi remained jailed without bail. A formal arraignment and bail review, if requested, are expected at the San Bernardino Justice Center later today, with future hearing dates to be set by the court.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.