Arrest warrant issued for stepson of woman found buried in yard

An arrest warrant has been issued for the stepson of the missing San Diego and Tijuana woman whose body was found buried in her own courtyard, according to a spokesman for the state Attorney General’s office in Tijuana.

Tijuana police are looking for Aaron Juárez, 20, the victim’s stepson, in connection with her murder, authorities confirmed Monday.

The family of Fernanda González Serrano, 32, reported her missing to Tijuana authorities in early February.

Her father and sisters went to search her property on Feb. 24, after receiving anonymous tips via phone that her body would be buried there.

They found her body buried underneath a Volkswagen Beetle parked in the courtyard of the Tijuana home she shared with her husband.

Gonzalez’s husband, Baudelio Juárez, was treated at UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest for a gunshot wound days after her initial disappearance.

Jorge Álvarez, the deputy Attorney General in Tijuana, said Juárez initially told a San Diego law enforcement agency he had been involved in some type of home invasion or robbery that took an ugly turn.

Over the next few weeks, he repeatedly said he did not know where González was or what happened to her, while investigators worked on her missing person’s case, according to police and the victim’s family.

Reached by phone last week, Juárez declined to comment. He did not respond to a follow-up request for comment on this latest development.

Juárez’s son, Aaron, is a United States citizen. He has a criminal record in San Diego, court records show. He could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for the District Attorney’s office in San Diego County said Juárez was placed on three years’ formal probation for a felony gun charge.

“He and another gang member were both charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and resisting a peace officer,” said DA spokesman Steve Walker.

Walker said Juárez entered a guilty plea, but failed to appear at his initial sentencing date and was arrested on a bench warrant, appearing in court on Feb. 19, days before González body was discovered.

Juárez also a misdemeanor conviction for selling marijuana or transporting it for sale, court records show.

He was sentenced on Feb. 19 to time served, a civil assessment and formal probation.

Erika González, the victim’s sister, said the family is concerned Tijuana police won’t be able to find Aaron Juárez or that he has fled to the United States.

“We’re just waiting to see right now and we don’t know where he is or if he’s in Tijuana or over here and we’re a little scared that they aren’t going to find him,” said González, who lives in Chula Vista.

The family held a funeral for Fernanda González on Saturday. They are offering a $2,000 reward for information about the whereabouts of Aaron Juárez.

A spokesman for the state Attorney General’s office in Tijuana said the arrest warrant for Juárez was sealed, as of late Monday afternoon.