George Stahl/Special to the Sun

An autopsy was scheduled for Jan. 31 on the body of an unidentified male found in the trunk of a vehicle parked at a home on 10909 Hand Ct. in Weldon.

The body, according to Officer Ray Pruitt of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, showed signs of trauma and has been ruled a homicide.

Danny Leon Mathis, 51, of Weldon is taken into custody Sunday afternoon at 10909 Hand Court in Weldon. He was booked into Central Receiving Facility in Bakersfield for 1st degree murder.

Authorities have not released the name of the victim, but, on Facebook, friends and family have identified him as Ruben Torres, 21, of Weldon.

During the investigation of the death, homicide detectives had learned that the vehicle is owned by the person residing at the Hand Court address and that the owner lent the vehicle to Danny Leon Mathis, 51, of Weldon.

Detectives were able to determine that the remains were in the trunk for no more than one day. They also determined that Mathis was an acquaintance of the deceased. A search warrant was obtained for Mathis’ residence at 11311 Bronco Court in Weldon and upon searching the residence, detectives found sufficient evidence to take Mathis into custody.

“The evidence found inside the house was enough to help detectives determine that Mathis was involved in the homicide and that the crime occurred inside the Bronco Ct. residence,” Pruitt said in a telephone interview with the Sun. “The homicide is believed to have occurred as a result of a problem between the victim and the suspect.

“More details as to cause and time of death will be available after the autopsy is conducted,” Pruitt said. “There are no signs that would indicate any gang affiliations to the case,” he said.

The owner of the vehicle is not a person of interest at this time, Pruit said. Mathis is the only suspect in the homicide. Mathis was taken to the Central Receiving Facility in Bakersfield and booked for 1st degree murder on Jan. 29. He is being held without bail. The Sun will report further on the case as more details become available.