Police have confirmed that a man’s body found next to a burning vehicle in San Bernardino County is assumed to be linked to the targeted killing of a man and woman in Simi Valley hours earlier.
According to the Chino Police Department, officers responded for a report of a vehicle fire in the parking lot of Ayala Park on Central Avenue around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
There they found a man’s body lying on the ground near a black sedan that was on fire. A gun was also recovered at the scene, police said, and the man’s death is believed to be a suicide.
Hours earlier, police in Simi Valley made the gruesome discovery of a couple’s murder inside their home in a residential cul-de-sac in the Wood Ranch area. That couple has been identified as Dr. Eric Cordes, a board-certified radiologist, and his wife, Vicki.
Simi Valley police on the scene of a deadly double shooting on Nov. 30, 2025. (KTLA)
For reasons that were not disclosed by Chino police, detectives believed that the two incidents were potentially connected and Chino police contacted their counterparts in Simi Valley. Investigators from the Simi Valley Police Department traveled the roughly 25 miles east to Chino to evaluate the scene of the suspected suicide.
Chino police officials later said that the two incidents are likely connected, although it wasn’t disclosed how they arrived at that conclusion.
The man’s death in Simi Valley is continuing to be treated as a suspected suicide, but the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office will ultimately make that determination. The Chino Valley Fire District is separately investigating the car fire.
The deaths of Eric and Vicki Cordes was described by community members as “tragic” and “shocking.” Neighbors described the violent crime as unprecedented for the sleepy residential community.
Police have assured those who live in the area that the crime is an isolated incident and was a targeted attack, not a random act of violence. A potential family connection was believed to be one of the more credible motives.
The identity of the man found dead in Chino has yet to be released; it’s unclear if he was in fact related to the other victims.
Anyone with information about the killings in Simi Valley or the presumed suicide in Chino is urged to contact local authorities. Both investigations are ongoing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental distress or suicidal thoughts, you can contact the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by phone call or text. You can also visit 988lifeline.org.
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