A Wendell man was charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday after he allegedly shot and killed a man in the parking lot of an auto parts shop.
Cesar Mikeas Padilla Aguilar, 38, was charged with first-degree murder in Gooding County District Court, with the prosecution seeking an enhanced penalty, and unlawful discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, according to a criminal complaint. Padilla's bond was set at $1,000,000.
According to the criminal complaint, Gooding County deputies and law enforcement arrived at the NAPA Auto Parts in Wendell at around 4.30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15 over reports of a man driving a white Ford Expedition shooting an individual inside another vehicle.
When an Idaho State Police sergeant arrived at the scene, he found a man deceased with a gunshot wound in the passenger seat of an orange minivan, according to court documents. The man was later identified as 35-year-old Matthew Bodsford. A woman and a child who were inside the vehicle were unharmed.
Bodsford's Girlfriend was Aguilar's Ex, She Broke Up After Discovering Inappropriate Photos of Her Daughters on His Phone
Court documents obtained by KTVB, say an argument began between Bodsford and Aguilar, who had made sexually inappropriate questions regarding his girlfriend's daughters. The girlfriend had told police that she used to be in a relationship with Aguilar and they had a child together, but were no longer in a relationship after inappropriate photos of her daughters were found on his phone.
The girlfriend told police on Dec. 15 that Bodsford and Aguilar began arguing over the phone and planned to meet at the NAPA Auto Parts to fight each other, court documents state. Apparently, Bodsford told Aguilar not to bring a gun, and they fought.
Aguilar Shot Bodsford in the Head Through the Passenger Window, Then Fled the Scene
Court documents show Bodsford's girlfriend drove, with the daughter in the back seat, to NAPA Auto Parts. Authorities said Aguilar had been waiting for them, and the girlfriend had parked next to Aguilar's Ford Expedition.
The documents state Aguilar then shot Bodsford in the head, killing him and left the scene in his vehicle. Investigators later found two shell casings at the scene, one next to the open passenger-side door and another several feet away.
The affidavit stated that the Gooding County Sheriff's Office identified the white SUV's license plate, which was registered to Aguilar. The Elmore County Sheriff's Office and Idaho State Police conducted a traffic stop and arrested Padilla Aguilar in Elmore County without resistance. Aguilar's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 30, 2025.
