Man Charged in Decades-Old Killing of 23-Year-Old Found in Azusa Ditch

A defendant was charged Feb. 9 in the decades-old slaying of 23-year-old Claudia Guevara, whose body was discovered in a drainage ditch in Azusa the day after she went missing. The charging brings renewed attention to a case that has haunted families and neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley for 30 years.

Claudia Guevara had been living with her older brother in Temple City when she vanished after being dropped off at a bus stop in El Monte by two co-workers on Feb. 20, 1996. Her older brother reported her missing when she did not return home. Guevara’s nude body was found the following day in a drainage ditch next to Encanto Parkway in Azusa.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed charges under case number 26CJCF00858 and said the defendant was charged Feb. 9 and was expected to be arraigned the same day in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The defendant’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 18, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. The case moves from investigatory limbo into the courtroom phase, a procedural shift that may produce new records and testimony for family members and the public to examine.

For readers in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities, the development matters for several reasons. It underscores that cold cases can be resurrected after decades, offering a measure of possible closure for family members who have carried uncertainty for years. It also highlights the role of prosecutorial review in deciding when to file charges, and it may prompt renewed community interest in court filings and pretrial evidence that become part of the public record.

If you have information relevant to this case, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Media Relations can be contacted at (213) 257-2000 or media@da.lacounty.gov. The office is located at 211 West Temple Street, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Providing the DA case number, 26CJCF00858, will help officials locate the matter quickly.

As the defendant moves through arraignment and pretrial hearings, expect new details to emerge in public filings and court proceedings. For survivors, neighbors, and true crime followers who track cold-case progress, the March court date is the next milestone to watch for developments and for potential movement toward accountability.