Two men from the Eel River Valley are set to be arraigned Tuesday after being arrested for the alleged murder of two men in Butte County.

Wesley Evans, 45 of Rio Dell, and Samuel Ashley, 43 of Ferndale allegedly travelled with two men to Oroville in January. These victims were found fatally shot inside a burned vehicle, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

In a news release, the BCSO said deputies and Cal Fire personnel responded to a report of a burned vehicle in the area of Condor Road and Red Tape Road, Oroville, and found two victims inside a burned vehicle on Jan. 30.

“Detectives immediately began conducting an investigation. Based on DNA analysis, the two victims were identified as Juan Daniel Arreola-Solano, age 26, of Eureka, and Esequiel Valle-Arellano, age 22, of San Diego. A forensic pathologist conducted autopsies on both victims and determined they both died as a result of gunshot wound(s),” the news release said.

The release said BCSO detectives and Cal Fire law enforcement conducted a two-week investigation and determined the two victims traveled from Humboldt County to Oroville on the morning of Jan. 30, 2025. The investigation found evidence Evans and Ashley traveled with them.“Detectives located evidence Ashley and at least one of the victims were involved in a dispute about a recent gun and drug transaction,” the news release said.

According to the release, the victims were murdered shortly after arriving on Condor Road, and the vehicle was then lit on fire.

“After the fire started, Evans and Ashley fled from the scene and eventually returned to Humboldt County,” the BCSO release said. The pair were arrested on Feb. 10 in Rio Dell and Ferndale on arrest warrants out of Butte County. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team also served search warrants at their residences. According to the release, BCSO detectives, Cal Fire law enforcement personnel and Butte County District Attorney investigators spent a week in Humboldt County investigating this case.

Evans and Ashley were incarcerated in the Humboldt County jail and later transported to the Butte County Jail on Feb. 14. They are scheduled to be arraigned at the Butte County Superior Court at 3 p.m. on Feb. 18.

According to the Butte County District Attorney’s office, charges have yet to be filed as the BCSO report was forwarded to the office Tuesday for both men.

Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.