CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Two people are behind bars on suspicion of murdering a man who was found dead in East County Saturday, the Chula Vista Police Department announced.

On April 18, CVPD was contacted by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department regarding a suspicious missing persons investigation for Jesse Valdez, a 40-year-old Imperial Beach man who was reported missing by his family on April 7.

According to officials, Valdez had not returned home or contacted his family for several days, prompting them to reach out to the sheriff’s department.

During the course of their investigation, sheriff’s officials learned that Valdez may have been murdered at a Chula Vista hotel, leading to his disappearance.

The sheriff’s department began working with CVPD, who learned that Valdez was murdered at the Red Roof Inn Hotel at 394 Broadway in Chula Vista, CVPD Sgt. Anthony Molina said in a news release.

Police say the suspects moved Valdez’s body from the hotel after his death.

Officials identified 34-year-old Jorge Rodriguez and 36-year-old Ally Mistone as suspects in Valdez’s death.

Rodriguez was already in custody at the San Diego County Jail for an unrelated charge when he was rebooked on suspicion of murder on Thursday.

Mistone was arrested Saturday and booked into Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility on suspicion of murder, Molina said.

A body discovered Saturday in a rural area of Jamul was identified Monday by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office as Valdez. His cause of death has not yet been determined.

The case is still under investigation and detectives are actively seeking witnesses and gathering evidence, Molina said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident was asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or submit an anonymous tip online through P3tips.com.

Rodriguez and Mistone are scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, jail records show.