Salem girl, 17, charged with murder after DJ’s body found on I-5 roadside in Clackamas
A Salem teen is in custody on charges of killing disc jockey Oscar Chaidez and leaving his body on Interstate 5 in Clackamas County.
Jasmine Joseline Rangel, 17, faces charges of second-degree murder and use of a dangerous weapon, according to records from the Clackamas County Juvenile Department.
Rangel was taken into custody Thursday — just over 50 days since state troopers found Chaidez, 42, dead on the southbound shoulder of I-5 near the Charbonneau off-ramp at exit 282.
Authorities were initially investigating the death as a hit-and-run, but now believe Chaidez was run over intentionally.
Local DJs and rappers have been anxiously awaiting answers since Chaidez was last seen alive leaving his roommate’s place in Portland with a young-looking woman, according to Christopher Tafoya, a local hip-hop artist who performs under the name “Sleep.”
Tafoya said Chaidez, who used the name DJ Ozroc while at the turntable, had left a voicemail for Tafoya’s cousin saying he had been hanging out with her but didn’t name her.
“He said that she had some problems in her life and he was helping her,” Tafoya said.
Chaidez, who left behind three sons, had been working odd jobs in his spare time, after a former career as a phlebotomist at Kaiser Permanente.
Rangel is due back in court July 31 for a preliminary hearing.
This article was originally published in The Oregonian/OregonLive and is reprinted with permission.
Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, [email protected] or @pdxzane.
STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].
A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE.
