Police Think Missing Laguna Hills Trucker May Be Buried in Yard

Investigators suspect a Laguna Hills truck driver, last seen in August, could be buried in the yard of an Ontario home, which was being searched today with cadaver dogs, Ontario police reported.

Investigators began serving a search warrant at the home in the 1700 block of South Palm Avenue on Wednesday, Ontario police Sgt. David McBride said.

In September, Orange County sheriff's investigators asked for the public's help in tracking down 28-year-old Laguna Hills truck driver Oscar Javier Contreras Escobar, who was believed to be the victim of foul play.

"We took over the case sometime in November when it looked like it was going to point to a house in our city," McBride said. "We developed more information that pointed to this house and its occupants being involved in his disappearance."

Los Angeles and San Bernardino County coroner's investigators were assisting in the search with cadaver dogs, McBride said.

"We don't know if the missing person is buried back there," McBride said. "We have nothing concrete to point to that at this point, but we want to cover every possibility carefully."

It's expected the search of the property will continue Friday, McBride said.

Escobar returned his big rig to Victorville when he finished a long-haul trip from the East Coast on Aug. 28, and was dropped off near Foothill Boulevard and Mango Street in Fontana sometime between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. to meet a woman friend, Orange County sheriff's deputies said.

Escobar was known to sometimes stay at motels in Fontana and spend time in the Inland Empire, investigators said. Escobar stayed at a motel on Sierra Avenue in Fontana in July.

Escobar is 5-foot-5, 135 pounds, has brown eyes, a mustache and goatee and is bald. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, brown cargo shorts and white Nike gym shoes.

- City News Service