Authorities in California have arrested a man on suspicion of killing an individual before dismembering the victim’s body, transporting it by train to another location and burning the remains.

According to Fox News, 56-year-old Valentino Gutierrez is accused of killing the unidentified victim last week.

Police say the murder occurred inside an abandoned restaurant in Pasadena. The deceased person’s remains were discovered Thursday by firefighters outside of a home improvement retailer in Cypress Park, about eight miles away from that location.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck released preliminary details of the crime in a statement this week. He said a suitcase containing the dismembered body had been set on fire.

A surveillance camera captured a man aboard a commuter train carrying a similar type of luggage, police say. That evidence reportedly led investigators to Pasadena, where they began interviewing witnesses.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, homeless individuals in the area of the crime proved valuable in identifying Gutierrez as a suspect.

“Their statements also tied him to the murder,” Beck explained.

While police had not confirmed the identity of the victim, reports indicate Guiterrez’s partner had been previously reported missing.

When the suspect made his first court appearance this week, he reportedly did not enter a plea to the charges of murder and arson being pursued against him.

After Gutierrez was arrested on Friday, he was booked into jail with bail set at $2 million. If convicted of the charges against him, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

[Featured image: Pixabay]