(KRON) – A man’s dead body was found buried in Hayward, California, after his alleged murderer shot him to death several days prior, the Hayward Police Department reports. 

The suspect, Andres Sanchez, 38, from Hayward, has since been arrested. The victim has not yet been identified.

The shooting occurred early in the morning on April 26. Police said witnesses encountered two men arguing on San Antonio and Hayman Streets in Hayward. 

Witnesses said one man grabbed a handgun and started shooting at the other. Despite believing the man was killed from being shot, witnesses didn’t make a call to 9-1-1 until two days after the shooting on April 28, police said.

Officers responded to the scene but found nobody there. They then contacted nearby local hospitals about the shooting, but no victims were located, police said. 

Further investigation identified Sanchez as a suspect. Officials also found Sachez to have outstanding warrants. 

On April 30, witnesses saw Sanchez riding an ATV by some train tracks on Tennyson Road and Leidig Court. Officers arrived on the scene and attempted to contact Sanchez, but he immediately fled on his ATV, police said. 

Sanchez then traveled southbound and jumped over a wall into a residential neighborhood before barricading himself in the garage of a private residence near Chance Street in Hayward. The two homeowners were able to exit the home without injury as officers arrived and contained the area, police said. 

Hayward PD’s Special Response Unit, assisted by the Fremont Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene and began negotiations with Sanchez.  

“After hours of negotiation,” Sanchez peacefully surrendered and was taken into custody, police said. 

Later in the day, at 9:45 p.m., detectives located the body of a man with apparent gunshot wounds near the area of the original shooting. 

Police said the body “had been concealed with dirt and debris,” and they believed that the man had been dead for several days. 

Information on the body found is not being released at this time due to formal identification protocols set by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, police said.  

Sanchez was since arrested for his outstanding warrants, felony evasion, home invasion robbery, and murder.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Scinto at 510-293-7176. 

This is Hayward’s fourth homicide of 2024, HPD said.