Owner of Calif. dealership group reportedly killed in Mexico

Family Motors Auto Group owner Jose Arredondo, 58, was found dead Tuesday morning by local investigators in a condominium in a Mexico resort town, according to the Associated Press and other media outlets. The date and time of the attack that killed Arredondo are unclear.

Authorities in the Mexican state of Baja Sur are investigating the death that took place in Cabo San Lucas, according to reports.

Arredondo, 58, was found dead by local authorities with "signs of blunt force trauma," reports said. It was also unclear whether there were other victims or witnesses.

According to Family Motors Acura's website, the Bakersfield, Calif., dealership group owner was born in the village of Cualcoman, Mexico. He was the fourth of 11 children.

Arredondo and his family moved to the United States when he was 12 to find work. He saved his money and eventually bought various properties.

In 1977 he started washing cars at a Mission Hills dealership to help his mother, and in 1993 he bought a car lot in Bakersfield, which later became the site of Family Motors Acura. He eventually expanded his dealership group by adding Taft Family Motors, Family Used Cars, Delano Family Motors, Delano Family Motors Hyundai, Fillmore Family Motors and Santa Paula Family Motors.

A U.S. State Department spokeswoman on Wednesday confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen in Cabo San Lucas but declined to provide further comment "out of respect for the family," she said,

"We are closely monitoring local authorities' investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance," she said.

No suspects have been identified and no possible motives have been released.

Family Motors Acura did not respond to requests for comment.