Bakersfield, Calif. – Nearly two years after the gruesome discovery of a burning body on the side of a Bakersfield freeway, authorities have made a significant breakthrough with the arrest of a suspect linked to the brutal slaying of 27-year-old Karla Terron. Her charred remains were discovered early on the morning of Dec. 17, 2022, signaling the start of a complex murder investigation.
Karla Terron’s lifeless body, set ablaze in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence, was found on the southbound side of the 99 Freeway near Hosking Road. Despite the condition of the body, forensic experts were able to determine that Terron had succumbed to multiple stab wounds, shedding light on the violent nature of her death.
In the early hours of Wednesday, law enforcement officers arrested 30-year-old Juan Figuroa in San Fernando, about 100 miles south of where Terron was found. Figuroa is currently facing murder charges, and investigators have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests as the inquiry progresses.
According to police records, Terron was last seen alive on December 16, 2022, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post in San Fernando. After spending time with friends, she reportedly went to a residence in the northern parts of the San Fernando Valley. It was there, authorities believe, that Terron met her tragic end.
Earlier this year, officials revealed that a 2021 Honda CRV was used to transport Terron’s body from the purported murder scene in San Fernando to its grim final location in Bakersfield. This key evidence was supported by DNA findings linking Terron to the vehicle’s rear cargo area. A photograph of the vehicle was shared by the sheriff’s department in a bid to gather more information from the public, including any details related to the whereabouts of Terron’s missing cellphone.
The arrest of Figuroa followed a targeted operation where homicide detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on Knox Street in San Fernando. He was detained without incident and later booked on suspicion of murder as authorities press forward with their investigation.
As the local community grapples with the unsettling details of the case, the question of motive remains speculative. Authorities have not yet disclosed any potential reasons behind the brutal killing, indicating that the complexities of Terron’s death might run deeper than initially apparent.
The case is poised to be submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, where decisions regarding formal charges against Figuroa will be made. As the prosecution prepares its case, further investigations will likely illuminate how a night that started at a community VFW spiraled into violence and murder, leaving a family mourning and a community seeking justice for Karla Terron.