Investigators announced this month that a body found Oct. 11 along Highway 198 west of Coalinga has been identified as 50-year-old Isabel Lucas Velasco of Coalinga, closing a monthlong missing-person case that began with her disappearance in San Luis Obispo County. Velasco was last seen Sept. 12 at a job site in rural Arroyo Grande and reported missing under suspicious circumstances on Sept. 13. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office led the initial investigation; search efforts were later conducted jointly with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

On Oct. 11, search teams located a burned vehicle and a body near Highway 198, leading detectives to reclassify the case as a homicide. Two brothers, identified as Alejandro Soriano Ortiz, 45, of Coalinga, and Celestino Soriano Ortiz, 40, of Santa Maria, were arrested that day on criminal charges that include murder, arson and accessory. The San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s Office confirmed the body as Velasco’s on Oct. 15 and released additional information indicating the homicide occurred in San Luis Obispo County and involved acts described by investigators as cruel; specific autopsy details have not yet been released publicly.

Investigators had previously seized two trucks as evidence in the case on Oct. 7, part of a series of evidence-gathering steps that culminated in the discovery of the body and the arrests. Authorities publicly announced the homicide classification and arrests on Oct. 13. Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have indicated that further forensic analysis and court proceedings are pending, and the cause of death and full autopsy findings remain subject to additional verification.

The case has reverberated across western Fresno County, exposing the particular vulnerabilities of rural communities where residents may live and work far from law enforcement resources. Local families have been visibly affected; members of the Perez family have held public displays of grief and organizers in Huron planned a community fundraiser on Oct. 19 to help cover funeral costs. The arrests and identification bring some measure of closure but also raise questions about the availability of support services for victims and the need for vigilance in reporting suspicious activity.

The cross-county investigation underscores cooperation between the San Luis Obispo and Fresno sheriff’s offices in addressing crimes that cross jurisdictional lines, while also highlighting the limits of local resources in sparsely populated areas. As the case moves into the criminal justice system, residents can expect ongoing updates as prosecutors file charges and as law enforcement releases further details from forensic and witness investigations.

For families and neighbors in Coalinga and surrounding communities, the case serves as a reminder of the emotional toll of violent crime and the importance of community support networks. Local advocates and law enforcement officials say follow-up work will be needed to track court developments, verify autopsy findings, and explore measures to prevent similar tragedies in rural Fresno County.