Penitencia Creek runs alongside Pine Hollow Circle, where the body was found.
SAN JOSE – A body found at Penitencia Creek, which is near Independence High School, has been ruled a homicide.
According to San Jose Police Sergeant Enrique Garcia, “On Friday, November 27 at 11:05 a.m., San Jose Police Officers responded to the 1800 block of Pine Hollow Circle on a report of a body near a creek.” The San Jose Fire Department personnel pronounced the victim, 31-year-old Joaquin Paiz, deceased at the scene. According to the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office, they have classified the death as a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma.
The San Jose Police Department is still following up on possible leads that could point them to known or unknown suspects in the dumping of the body. According to Damian Trujillo with NBC News, “Sources tell NBC Bay Area the victim was likely killed somewhere else and the killer dumped his body near the creek. Police will likely look at surveillance video from homes around the crime scene, trying to figure out who may have dumped the body.”
There is no known motive behind the killing. Homicide detectives are currently investigating the circumstances behind the death of Paiz and are not releasing further information, citing the currently on-going investigation. Past records show that Paiz had been arrested in July for possession of drug paraphernalia, and in December 2014 for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, and being under the influence.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Rick Yu or Detective Wayne Smith of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 408-277-5283.
