Transient arrested for the murder of a Costa Mesa auto repair shop owner

COSTA MESA, Calif. (June 9, 2020) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) has arrested a former auto repair employee on suspicion of murder after a business owner of the auto repair shop was found dead in his office.

At approximately 3:22 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2020, CMPD received a call from a woman at a business located in the 1900 block of Harbor Boulevard. The caller was a customer who contacted the police after she discovered the business owner unresponsive and slumped over in his office. Police officers and detectives immediately responded to the scene. The owner of the business, 60-year-old Garbis Yaghlagian, was found in his office deceased with a gunshot wound. 

During the investigation, officers learned Francisco Javier Castaneda, 31, transient, was an employee at the location and was seen leaving the business after a loud bang was heard.

Shortly thereafter, Castaneda was reported to CMPD as a suspicious unknown man, with a matching description, walking in in the area of Victoria Street and Harbor Boulevard. Castaneda was quickly located and arrested. He was booked in the Costa Mesa jail on one count of murder and was subsequently transported to OC Jail with no bail.

Today, June 9, 2020, CMPD detectives located the firearm believed to be used in this crime. ###