Serving the heart of California since 1892

1 in custody following homicide

Photo - A Madera County Sheriff’s deputy walks on the property of a potential homicide Wednesday morning where the remains of Hortencia Arambula was found in her backyard. A suspect is in custody.
A Madera County Sheriff’s deputy walks on the property of a potential homicide Wednesday morning where the remains of Hortencia Arambula was found in her backyard. A suspect is in custody.

Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives are investigating the murder of 53-year-old Hortencia Arambula, who was found partially concealed on her property.

Arambula was reported missing by family members around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday after they were unable to reach her for several days. Deputies responded to the residence in the 16000 block of Road 28 1/2 in Madera County and were unable to locate Arambula, her vehicle or her adult son, who also lived at the residence.

Around 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the Madera County Sheriff’s Communications Center received a call reporting the discovery of Hortencia’s remains. Her husband, who had been out of town for work, returned to their home and found her partially concealed remains in the backyard of their property.

Immediately following the discovery, Madera County Sheriff’s Office distributed an alert to outside law enforcement agencies for a vehicle and possible suspect — the victim’s adult son, 32-year-old Luis Javier Arambula.

Shortly before 3 a.m., officers with the Madera Police Department located the vehicle, with the suspect inside, at Rotary Park in Madera. He was detained without incident and provided a confession to MCSO detectives shortly after being taken into custody.

He has been arrested and booked in at the Madera County Department of Corrections for first degree murder.

This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at 675-7770.

Tyler Takeda

News Editor / Sports Editor
559-674-2424

Nancy Simpson

Publisher & CFO​
559-674-2424

Shirley James

Graphic Artist
559-674-2424

How do I Submit a Photo?

Capture the moments that matter! Whether it's a school event, a local celebration, or a sports victory, your photos can help tell the story of our community. We invite you to share your images with us, but remember, if they include identifiable individuals, a signed photo release is required. From group photos to individual snapshots, we want to see what you've captured. Just follow our guidelines for submission, and you could see your work published in the Madera Tribune! Join us in celebrating our community through your lens—read on to learn how to submit your photos today!

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.