By Sarah Elizabeth Villicana, The Porterville Recorder

Three transients believed to be involved in the death Sunday of a Porterville man were arrested late Monday.

They remained in jail Tuesday pending arraignment on criminal charges. Miguel Cervantes Calderon, 26, Crystal Barragan, 23, and Esperanza Hernandez, 28, were taken into custody Monday around 11 p.m. All three were booked at the Tulare County Jail for their alleged involvement in Porterville's sixth homicide of the year.

The body of Joseph Roderick “Rod” Fox, 36, was discovered Sunday in an open field. A passerby discovered the body in the 400 block of South E Street at 3:55 p.m. and reported it to police, the Porterville Police Department reported. The area where Fox's body was found is frequently traveled by transients moving to and from the river, Sgt. Duanne Griffin said on Monday.

Little physical evidence was found at the scene and investigators had few leads to follow, Griffin said. Later the same day detectives reportedly received new information in the case, which led to the arrests of the three, who live along the Tule River. Police reported that Fox's body was found 50 yards from the nearest roadway and had been in the field for several hours prior to being discovered.

The exact cause of death had not been determined. An autopsy was scheduled Tuesday at the Tulare County Coroner's Office. Police did not comment Tuesday on a possible motive in the city's record-tying homicide, as members of the Investigations Unit continued their investigation. One of the suspects, Hernandez, was featured in a mid-July report in The Recorder about a series of fires along the Tule River.

As early as January, Porterville Fire Department Capt. Jeff Dodd said these “debris fires,” as most are classified, were a growing problem. He cited statistics showing a link between the number of river fires and times of the year when the homeless population is heaviest along the river. A number of those living along the river in July said some of the fires were the result of a feud between people along the river. In January, Dodd said these “territory battles,” which usually end with a person out of his or her shelter, were becoming more common as homeless shelters continue to multiply along the riverbed.

At the time, Hernandez commented on the situation. “Most of the people down here just want to be friends, and it's the small group who does start fires that makes it difficult for the rest,” Hernandez said. “And it puts the good people's lives in danger, too.”

Contact Sarah Villicana at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or svillicana@portervillerecorder.com.
This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on August 16, 2006