Oscar L. Chaidez, a father and DJ who mentored Latino children in Salem, was found dead early Wednesday morning on Interstate 5 in Clackamas County. Police say Chaidez was murdered.
The Oregon State Police has provided no details about Chaidez’s death more than a day after officers found his body on the freeway. The agency responded that morning to a report that a driver may have struck and killed him, but police later determined that he was intentionally killed.
Relatives of Chaidez, 42, are now urging anyone with information to immediately contact authorities to help find who killed him.
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Oregon State Police asked anyone with information to contact the agency’s Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (*677), and reference case number SP24168806.
They said he leaves behind three sons, his mother and a brother who dearly love him.
In his late teenage years, Chaidez began volunteering for Latinos Unidos Siempre, a youth group in Salem.
He served as a role model mentoring kids involved with LUS for several years, according to Levi Herrera-Lopez, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Center, the program’s parent organization.
Chaidez was part of a crew of local artists and became well-known in both Salem and Portland as DJ Ozroc.
As he gained recognition on the local music scene, he continued giving back to kids in Salem.
He regularly supported the LUS Urban Art Fest, performing himself and bringing other local performers.
Chaidez had a regular DJ spot on Wicked Wednesdays, a weekly hip-hop event with live performances in Portland.
He lived in unincorporated east Salem near Four Corners as of January, according to Marion County court records.
Police have concluded that Chaidez’s death was a homicide. But his relatives say they have no information about the cause of his death.
“We seek answers and justice for him,” his cousin, Jacqueline Chaidez, told Salem Reporter.
Police responded at 5:43 a.m. Wednesday morning to a report of a man lying on the right shoulder of the southbound freeway lanes near exit 282. The exit is near the Charbonneau district of Wilsonville.
“The initial reports indicated the victim was possibly struck by a vehicle,” state police said in a news release. “A subsequent investigation by OSP and the Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed Chaidez was the victim of a homicide.”
This article was updated with additional information from Chaidez’s family.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
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