Daughter’s ex-boyfriend among three arrested in father’s slaying

A Fontana girl’s ex-boyfriend and two others were being held Wednesday in connection with the abduction and slaying of the girl’s father, authorities said.

Fontana residents and friends Edward Anthony Morales and Richard Gonzalez, both 18, were arrested Tuesday in the death of Alejandro Padilla, 40, who was found killed after his July 26 abduction, police said.

Morales’ mother, Alma Casada, 37, was booked as an accessory to murder after the fact.

When Padilla headed to work early July 26, police believe he was assaulted and kidnapped by the teenagers in front of his home.

The Fontana Police Department received a report of yelling on the 6800 block of Beechcraft Avenue around 5 a.m., according to a Police Department news release. The caller believed the person needed help.

A baseball bat and smeared blood were found at the crime scene, according to KTLA-TV.

Authorities discovered Padilla’s body later that evening in his black Nissan Versa, which had been set on fire and left in a park in Rialto, said Sgt. Doug Imhof.

Morales, who had been dating Padilla’s daughter, was familiar with the family’s routine, Imhof said.

“I’m still in shock,” said Padilla’s wife at a news conference Tuesday. “In my heart I was hoping that that person wasn’t involved.”

The couple split up a few months ago, Imhof said. Friends told KTLA the couple dated for about a year. Some believed Padilla had been trying to protect his daughter from Morales, according to the TV station.

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Twitter: @emfoxhall

emily.foxhall@latimes.com