Woman found dead on Oakdale roadway in suspected homicide; Riverbank man arrested
Latest Update ==> Sheriff’s Department releases name of female homicide victim found in Oakdale
Original story:
A woman was found dead on the roadway in Oakdale early Saturday morning, and a Riverbank man has been arrested in connection.
At 6:10 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to a call of a vehicle striking a pedestrian on the 7600 block of Rodden Road in north Oakdale. CHP and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire responded to the call. CHP spokesman Officer Tom Olsen said when officers arrived on scene they found the deceased adult female in the roadway and determined her death was not related to a traffic collision.
The death investigation was then handed over to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Josh Clayton said when deputies began looking into the case “it was obvious this was a crime scene instead of an accident.”
Initial reports from authorities indicated she was found inside a car, but the Sheriff’s department corrected that report early Saturday evening.
Both Sheriff and CHP officials were at the site, which is just off Highway 120 between Oakdale Cheese and River Oak Grace Community Church, during the investigation. Clayton said the sheriff’s department’s Crimes Against Persons Team was activated and began investigating the death as a homicide.
Then, at about 8 a.m., CHP responded to a call for a vehicle accident on Highway 99 near the the West Main exit in Turlock. When officers arrived they determined someone had been shot inside one of the involved vehicles, and connected the incident to the victim on Rodden Road. The driver, 21-year-old Scott Williams of Riverbank, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies for homicide.
CHP also arrested Williams for the additional charges of driving under the influence, possession of a concealed loaded firearm and resisting arrest.
The cause of death for the female victim is not being released pending an autopsy next week. Clayton said he also could not confirm if the female victim had been shot. Her identity is being withheld pending notification to her family.
Detectives remained on scene collecting evidence for more than eight hours. Rodden Road at Highway 120 was closed to through traffic during the investigation.
This story was originally published May 11, 2019 at 4:04 PM.
