A probationer accused of fatally beating a 65-year-old Moreno Valley man and dumping his remains in a field was charged Wednesday with murder and a sentence-enhancing kidnapping allegation.

Victor Mendoza, 29, was arrested Sunday following a Riverside County sheriff’s investigation into the death of Larry Valverde.

Mendoza, who is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, is slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, Mendoza allegedly killed Valverde at a residence in the 23700 block of Sunnymead Boulevard during the early morning hours last Saturday. The circumstances and a possible motive were not disclosed.

Ramirez said deputies were called to the location to conduct a missing person investigation and discovered the crime scene.

Mendoza was immediately wanted for questioning, and he was tracked down and taken into custody for an unrelated misdemeanor offense while the investigation continued, according to the sergeant.

Valverde’s body was found about noon Sunday in an overgrown field in the 23100 block of Sunnymead, Ramirez said, and Mendoza was re-arrested and booked on suspicion of murder.

According to court records, the defendant has a misdemeanor conviction for domestic abuse and was sentenced last year to three years probation.

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