Blood found in the sport utility vehicle driven by Israel "Juan Carlos" Tellez may possibly be that of a missing Carson City mother, Sheriff Kenny Furlong confirmed Monday.
"Blood was found throughout the vehicle - on the roof, doors and throughout the rear portion of the vehicle. It matched the blood found on Andrew's clothing as being that of a female related to him. There are no other known female relatives in the local area," Furlong said.
Bertha Anguiano, 33, has been missing since Nov. 10, when her bloodied, 3-year-old son, Andrew, was abandoned at a grocery store in Dayton.
He told authorities he saw "Juan" hit his mother with a shovel or stick and put her into the rear of his 1992 GMC Jimmy under a blanket.
Authorities linked Tellez to the married mother of three because they allegedly were having an affair.
Forensic investigators can only say the blood matches a female relative of the child because they don't have samples from Anguiano to compare it to, Furlong said.
"This does not provide us with definite, concrete identification with Bertha, but it certainly is suggestive," he said.
He declined to reveal what other evidence was found in the vehicle, and said forensic investigators are continuing to process it.
The blood evidence was detailed in an affidavit filed in Salt Lake City on Wednesday in support of a search warrant to obtain blood samples from Tellez, 36. He is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail on a charge of aggravated assault.
Tellez and an acquaintance, Joaquin Barcelo, were arrested Nov. 21 in Salt Lake County after Tellez allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband as police approached him. An officer in an unmarked car hit him. A hearing is set for Jan. 6 on those charges.
In two interviews with Carson City detectives, Tellez has denied any knowledge of Anguiano's whereabouts.
Furlong said search operations are continuing in Carson, Lyon and Churchill counties, through which authorities believe Tellez traveled on Nov. 10.
"We had search-and-rescue, mounted posse and reserve units searching from Empire Ranch Gold Course all through Brunswick Canyon to the Lyon County line this weekend," he said. "The whole damn mountainside was covered with horses. We found nothing."
Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.