Arrest Made In Killing Of Woman Near Florin Light Rail Station

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Police have made an arrest in the death of Michelle Benavidez, a 29-year-old woman whose body was found near a Sacramento light rail station last year.

A man who is already behind bars has been named as a suspect in her death.

On May 14, 2021, just after 1 p.m., Sacramento Police Department officers were called out to the Florin Road Light Rail station following reports of a woman who was dead in the area. The woman had sustained serious injuries and was pronounced deceased by responding personnel from the Sacramento Fire Department.

Detectives and crime scene investigators conducted a thorough canvass of the area for evidence, witnesses, and information, and determined that it was a homicide case, say police.

Following a lengthy investigation, detectives have identified 22-year-old Jaquane Baldwin-Badger as the suspect in Benavidez's death.

Family members confirmed Thursday that the victim was, in fact, Benavidez.

Baldwin-Badger had been in custody in a state prison facility since July 2021 for an unrelated case. On Wednesday, he was extradited to Sacramento where he remains in custody in the Sacramento County Main Jail.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).