Manteca man arrested in December 2020 killing of his wife, San Joaquin sheriff reports

“I wish that just once, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY would have something positive to say about (the) Chenin Leyba-Carlson MURDER INVESTIGATION!!” the victim’s sister, Michelle Rodriguez, posted on Facebook back in mid-January.

That day came Saturday, when the county Sheriff’s Office announced on its Facebook page, “Murder suspect arrested!”

Christopher Carlson, 44, of Manteca was arrested Friday in the murder of his wife, whose body was found in the California Aqueduct, south of Tracy, on Dec. 20, 2020.

Early Friday, an arrest warrant for Carlson was granted, according to a news release on the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page. Immediately, homicide detectives assisted by the SJSO’s Special Services Division, began working to locate him.

Around 12:30 p.m., Carlson was found in Lathrop and taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail for murder.

Back at the time Chenin Carlson went missing, Rodriguez posted on Facebook that her brother-in-law said his wife was last seen leaving their home about 8:30 p.m. Dec. 19. “She was scheduled to start a new job at Amazon in Tracy CA. She never reported,” the post said.

The next day, two people fishing by Chrisman Road near the aqueduct saw Carlson’s body floating in the water. An autopsy determined her death was homicide, but authorities apparently have not released additional information on the cause.

The Sheriff’s Office began looking for the gray Honda Pilot SUV driven by Chenin Carlson, and the Manteca/Ripon Bulletin reported Jan. 8, 2021, that it was found just outside Manteca.

Saturday morning, Rodriguez shared the Sheriff’s Office post about Christopher Carlson’s arrest and wrote only, “I’m going to leave this right here ...”