New Real Time Intelligence Center helps nab suspected San Jose killer

(KRON) — A homicide victim was intentionally struck by a vehicle in San Jose in a business’ parking lot along Southwest Expressway, police said.

San Jose Police Department officers found the victim just after 6 a.m. Wednesday. “Officers located an adult male victim who was not conscious nor breathing,” Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote.

An on-scene examination by a Santa Clara County coroner noted signs of trauma on the man’s body that were consistent with being hit by a vehicle. Investigators said the deadly incident appeared to be an “intentional act.”

Homicide detectives worked with SJPD’s new Real Time Intelligence Center, where analysts examined footage from a recently expanded network of public safety cameras in an effort to identify a suspect vehicle.

By leveraging the camera network and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, detectives identified both a suspect vehicle and a person of interest, 45-year-old Jaime Cruz Castanon of San Jose.

On Wednesday evening, the vehicle and Cruz Castanon were found. The suspected killer was booked into jail on murder charges.

“The motive and circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation,” Garibay wrote.

Police did not release the victim’s name on Thursday. There have been 10 homicides in San Jose in 2025.