The Santa Ana Police Department announced a man has been convicted of second-degree murder for the 2020 slaying of a 57-year-old woman.

Officers made a grisly discovery on Oct. 26, 2020 when they responded to a call about an unconscious woman in a vehicle located in the 600 block of West Russell Street.

When they arrived, they found the body of Natalia Gamino Jaimes. She had been reported missing four days earlier from the city of Lake Forest.

After Jaimes’ death was ruled a homicide, investigators identified Jose Valdez Jimenez as the suspect. Detectives served several search warrants and tried to contact Jimenez several times, before determining that he had fled the country.

Although Jimenez had escaped to Mexico, authorities were able to get in contact with him by phone. In January of 2021, Jimenez called a detective and confessed that he had strangled Jaimes to death and drove her body to Santa Ana, leaving the woman inside a vehicle.

Authorities began the extradition process between the U.S. and Mexico and began to zone in on capturing Jimenez.

Deputies caught a break a short time later. On May 26, 2021, Jimenez contacted the same detective and told him that he was at the Mexican border and was ready to turn himself in to authorities.

Jimenez was arrested without incident and charged with murder.

On Friday, a jury convicted Jimenez of second-degree murder. He will be sentenced at a later hearing.

The Los Angeles Police Department and Hyundai are partnering to host a free anti-theft event this weekend so drivers can receive an important software update to help prevent vehicle thefts.

The software update is needed for select trim levels of all Hyundai models from 2011 to 2021.

Hyundai and Kia vehicles became the targets of thieves following a viral social media trend in which step-by-step instructions were provided to demonstrate how to steal them.

The “Kia Challenge” showed viewers how to “bypass the vehicles’ security features, dismantle their steering columns and create direct access to their ignitions,” Hyundai said. The videos challenged others to recreate and share proof of the thefts.

Thefts were so rampant that some Hyundai and Kia drivers were dropped from their auto insurance providers.

Vehicles susceptible to the thefts are Hyundai vehicles without push-button ignitions and “immobilizing anti-theft devices.” Hyundai estimates about 4 million vehicles, primarily base trim models, were vulnerable to these thefts.

Both automakers have rolled out security updates and have urged owners to take their vehicles in to a dealership to have it installed.

Still, both makes remain heavily targeted by thieves.

Earlier this week, KTLA and Crosstown reported that reports of stolen vehicles were skyrocketing in the San Fernando Valley. Kia and Hyundai vehicles had the highest number of thefts.

Hyundai officials are urging drivers to get their vehicle into the dealer or find a free update clinic.

This weekend’s event is taking place at Eagle Rock Plaza at 2828 Colorado Blvd. The update will be installed by specially trained Hyundai technicians and will take about 30 minutes to complete.

Drivers can receive the software update free of charge on either Friday or Saturday from 8 a.m to 6 p.m., or Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointments are needed, officials said.

In addition to the update, the LAPD will be giving away free steering wheel locks to all Hyundai drivers. Steering wheel locks are anti-theft devices meant to make a vehicle inoperable by locking the steering wheel in place and can only be opened with a specific key.

For more information about the Hyundai software update and where to find a clinic, click here.

A driver who led officers on a pursuit through Santa Monica and into West Los Angeles Friday morning was taken into custody after crashing head-on into multiple vehicles on the 405 Freeway.

Sky5 was over the pursuit on Santa Monica Boulevard shortly after 5 a.m. where the driver was being followed by officers.

Video showed the driver attempting to ram patrol vehicles and then leaning out the window of the van and shouting at officers.

At one point the van turned around and chased one of the patrol vehicles down the street in an attempt to crash into it.

“This is nuts. She’s chasing a black and white. She’s got a couple of other cars behind her … Look at this. This is just craziness,” Sky5 reporter Mike Case said.

Police have not confirmed if the suspect is male or female but said the driver was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon.

Police attempted several pit maneuvers on the northbound 405 Freeway but were unsuccessful.

The driver then began driving in the wrong direction on the freeway and crashed head-on into another vehicle but that still did not stop the van.

The driver continued on and drove at full speed, and again slammed head-on into multiple vehicles that were stopped on the freeway.

The collision left at least one vehicle badly damaged and caused the van to finally become disabled.

The suspect exited the van, climbed on top of a big rig and sat on the hood until being taken into custody by officers.

At least two officers were injured and hospitalized in unknown condition during the incident.

It was unclear how many motorists were injured in the collisions.

Check back for updates on this developing story.