More than two decades after a California mother vanished from her job and was later found murdered in the desert, authorities have arrested a suspect in the long-cold case.

Raymond Silva Gonzales, 51, was arrested this month in connection with the 2001 death of Suzanne Sites-Fenton, who was 32 years old at the time she disappeared.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department, Sites-Fenton was last seen on April 14, 2001, while working at a Mervyn’s store inside the Victor Valley Mall. She reportedly stepped out for a break and walked into the parking lot, but never returned to work or made it home.

Her husband reported her missing later that day. The following day, Sites-Fenton’s stepfather discovered her 2000 blue Honda Civic parked behind a Big 5 Sporting Goods store. Her purse was still inside the vehicle, and investigators said there were signs of a struggle inside the car.

On April 16, 2001, a passerby discovered Sites-Fenton’s body discarded in a pile of trash in the desert near the intersection of Mariposa Road and Ranchero Street in Hesperia. An autopsy revealed she had suffered gunshot wounds, and investigators later determined she had been kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and killed.

Despite extensive investigative efforts at the time, no arrest was made and the case went cold for years.

In 2025, cold case detectives reopened the investigation and identified Silva Gonzales as a suspect, authorities said. After gathering additional evidence, detectives obtained an arrest warrant on Jan. 15, leading to his apprehension.

Silva Gonzales is currently being held without bail at the High Desert Detention Center.

The sheriff’s department has not released details about what led investigators to Silva Gonzales after so many years, but officials said the arrest represents a major step toward justice for Sites-Fenton and her family.

“This case demonstrates our commitment to never giving up,” the department said in a statement, noting that detectives continue to pursue answers in unsolved homicides no matter how much time has passed.