Remains Of Fairfield Homicide Victim Found In Monterey County; Travis AFB Airman Among 3 Arrested
FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — Three people, including a Travis Air Force Base airman, were arrested following a Fairfield homicide that led to the discovery of the 19-year-old victim's remains in Monterey County, police said on Monday.
Airman and Fairfield resident Juan Parra-Peralta, 20, and Pittsburg residents Marco Quintanilla, 27, and Jessica Quintanilla, 21, were all taken into custody in connection to the death of Leilani Beauchamp, of Carmel near the city of Monterey, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
Jessica Quintanilla was arrested for murder, while the other two were arrested for accessory to murder. Fairfield police said Marco Quintanilla was also arrested for violation of parole, which stemmed from a previous felony conviction for attempted murder.
A missing person report was filed for Beauchamp on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 30. Fairfield police said she was last seen earlier that morning at a Halloween party in Sacramento, and she had left that with Parra-Peralta and another active-duty airman who both lived on Cascade Lane in Fairfield near Travis Air Force Base.
Fairfield police said Parra-Peralta and Beauchamp had just met at the party Friday night and she never left his home alive.
Veronica De La Torre lives near Airman Parra Peralta. She runs the neighborhood watch organization in the area and she is outraged at his alleged role in this murder case.
"Being an airman, when this happened, he should have been the first one to call the police," De La Torre said. "You go call the police and say 'Hey, this just happened in my home.' "
Parra-Peralta was part of an Air Force diversity video recorded in 2020. Travis Air Force Base confirmed Monday that Parra-Peralta was a cargo processing specialist at the base. He was arrested on base along Brennan Circle, according to jail records. Jessica Quintanilla was arrested in Pittsburg.
Fairfield police said detectives and Travis Air Force Base's Office of Special Investigations determined Beauchamp was killed at the home on Cascade Lane sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning, and her remains were found Sunday in Monterey County.
Beauchamp's mother shared several recent photos of her daughter, including at high school graduation and a trip to Disneyland. She was just beginning life and is suddenly gone.
Beauchamp's mother Violet Giovanni issued a statement on behalf of her family reading:
"Leilani was truly a blessing to us and her beloved friends. Leilani shared a very close relationship with her younger brother and sister who, after she ventured out to college, maintained daily communication with them. We will miss her smile, her laugh, her caring demeanor, her strong will, her passion for life and the love she brought to our family. We love you Leilani."
The circumstances of Beauchamp's death and a motive are unknown at this time, but Fairfield police said the investigation remains active and ongoing. Parra-Peralta's bail had been set at $25,000. He bailed out of jail Monday.
