LOS GATOS, Calif. — A man is facing charges after human remains believed to be his wife were found in a remote area of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department said John Maxey Yeager, 56, has been arrested for the murder of his wife, YingYang “Dawn” Yu, 40.
Police were contacted after Yu had not been in contact with her employer since before New Year’s Day. According to KTVU, authorities began to look into her disappearance. Police said her husband, Yeager, provided them with inconsistent information.
Police said it was later learned that on Dec. 31 there was some kind of domestic violence incident and Yu was the victim.
On Jan. 10, the police department teamed up with multiple Santa Clara agencies to investigate the case. A day later, Yeager was arrested on charges related to the incident on New Year’s Eve, according to KTVU.
Days later, investigators traveled to Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains because it was somewhere Yu had gone to earlier in the year, the news outlet reported. When they got to the area, authorities found what they believed to be human remains and that they belonged to Yu.
Police said the identification of the remains is pending confirmation from the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner.
“The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department is grateful for the assistance of its partners including the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory, the Santa Clara County Special Enforcement Team, the Santa Clara County Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team, Santa Clara County Search and Rescue, the Santa Clara County Department of Children’s and Family Services, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Santa Cruz County,” police said.
“We appreciate the assistance, trust and confidence placed in us by Dawn Yu’s community, colleagues and family throughout the investigation and express our deepest condolences to all who knew Dawn Yu.”
Yeager remains in custody and is facing additional charges related to his wife’s murder, police said.
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