Suspects arrested after body found in makeshift grave at Balboa Park

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two people have been arrested in connection to a body found buried at Balboa Park, San Diego Police announced Thursday.

The trail of events began on July 25, 2024, when the Homicide Unit was contacted by concerned citizens regarding a tip about a body possibly being buried within the canyon areas surrounding the park.

Detectives launched an investigation and ended up finding a shallow grave in the canyon hillside next to State Route 163 by Richmond Street, police explained. With help from the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office, detective’s were able to locate a deceased man within the gravesite.

The Medical Examiner determined that the individual, identified as 43-year-old James Garcia, had died from gunshot wounds and was the victim of a homicide.

After further investigation, police said detectives developed probable cause that the suspect who shot Garcia was 41-year-old Jeffrey Jones. Based on their findings, it’s suspected that Jones shot Garcia at the location where the victim’s body was found on May 24, 2024.

The suspect was located by police on the Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park on July 28, 2024. At that time, Jones was arrested for a probation violation. He was later booked on suspicion of murder on Aug. 3, 2024, police confirmed.

A second suspect, identified as 28-year-old Brandon Winegarden, is also believed to be an accessory in this case, based on findings from their investigation. Police said he helped bury Garcia’s body.

Winegarden was arrested in San Diego on Sept. 18, 2024, and booked into jail on suspicion of being an accessory, along with vehicle theft-related charges.

The Homicide Unit is still working to determine the motive in this killing. At this point, it’s believed by authorities that both suspects and the victim were all homeless in the Balboa Park area.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.