Son charged with murdering father in Hayward, body found in dumpster

(KRON) -- A 25-year-old man was charged with murder after he allegedly shot his father inside their Hayward home and hid the body in a dumpster, investigators said Tuesday.

District Attorney Pamela Price said, "A father is dead allegedly at the hands of his own son." According to prosecutors, David Sanchez fatally shot his father, 58-year-old Hector Sanchez, on October 23.

"This tragic taking of a life mirrors research that shows the presence of a gun significantly
increases the risk of death or serious injury in cases of domestic violence," Price said.

Hayward Police Department officers said they were called to the Sanchez family's home inside a warehouse on American Avenue just after 8 p.m. on October 23 to check on Hector Sanchez's wellbeing. Family members told police that they were concerned because the father had not gone to work earlier in the day, and he was not answering his cellphone.  

Inside the warehouse, there was no one at home and officers found evidence of a shooting.

The son was arrested the next day in Oakland for allegedly committing an unrelated non-violent crime. When Hayward police detectives interviewed David Sanchez, he allegedly told the detectives where they could find his father's body.

Hector Sanchez was found deceased inside a dumpster on Central Avenue in Union City, according to HPD.

David Sanchez was arraigned on the murder charge with enhancements Tuesday at the Rene C.
Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. If convicted, he will face up to 35 years-to-life in state prison.

The killing was the 13th homicide in Hayward in 2024.