SAN JOSE — A man last seen alive near the beginning of the year is feared dead and possibly the victim of foul play after decomposed remains were discovered inside his pickup truck, authorities say.
San Jose police officers were called just before 7 a.m. on March 21 for a report of a suspicious circumstance near Francis Drive and McKee Road in East San Jose, according to the police department.
“Upon arrival, officers located a severely decomposed body inside a vehicle,” the department stated in a Tuesday news release.
Aldama Refugio Jr., 40, of San Jose, has been missing since around the start of 2026, and police fear he might have been the victim of foul play after decomposed human remains were found inside his pickup truck March 21, 2026. (San Jose Police Dept.)
The deceased person has not been identified by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, which took custody of the remains.
Homicide detectives are investigating the death as a matter of protocol, but have not determined how the person died. But the pickup truck, a red 2010 two-door Nissan Frontier, was registered to 40-year-old San Jose resident Aldama Refugio Jr., who police say was last seen around the start of the new year.
The department added that “investigators believe foul play may be involved.” They released a photo of Refugio and his truck and are asking for public tips that could help them confirm the connection and circumstances of the death.
Anyone with information about Refugio or his vehicle can contact San Jose police investigators can call 408-504-1326 or email Detective Sgt. Julien Taylor at 4257@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Catherine Van Brande at 4542@sanjoseca.gov. Tips can also be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org.