St. Lucie County deputies say the victim was hidden in a compartment beneath the bunk of a semi parked near a Fort Pierce truck stop.
FORT PIERCE, FL — A truck driver from Pompano Beach was arrested after St. Lucie County deputies found a woman’s body concealed under the sleeper bed of his semi, authorities said Tuesday during a briefing that followed last week’s late-night call behind a Pilot Travel Center.
Investigators identified the victim as 32-year-old Wendy Moncion of Coconut Creek and the suspect as 41-year-old Olson Jean of Pompano Beach. Deputies said a “suspicious person” call on Jan. 15 led them to a semi that had slipped into a roadside ditch off South Rock Road. Blood was visible inside the cab and along the passenger side, prompting a search warrant. Sheriff Richard Del Toro Jr. said deputies found Moncion the next day in a storage space beneath the truck’s bunk. An autopsy determined she died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Jean is jailed without bond on first-degree murder with a firearm and tampering with evidence.
Deputies said the call came around 11:30 p.m. behind the truck stop, where they found Jean near the semi, which appeared to have left the roadway while attempting a sudden turnaround. He was initially arrested on a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence. Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division developed the case into a homicide probe over the following days. “This was a violent and senseless crime,” Del Toro said, praising patrol deputies and investigators for “relentless efforts” that quickly advanced the case. The sheriff added that the person who phoned in the suspicious activity “set this investigation in motion.”
According to Del Toro, Moncion and Jean are cousins and had been traveling from Georgia to Florida in the tractor-trailer before the killing. Deputies canvassed the area near South Rock Road and said they recovered a rifle, a handgun and magazines along a nearby canal. The firearms “appear to have been intentionally placed there,” the sheriff said. Investigators obtained a warrant and searched the cab, where they reported blood near the passenger-side door and found Moncion’s body inside a compartment under the bunk in the sleeper. Authorities have not said where the shooting took place during the trip or what led up to it.
Records show Jean was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail after the initial arrest and later rebooked on Jan. 17 on the murder and evidence-tampering counts. He remains held without bond on those charges, with a separate $500 bond on the resisting charge, according to statements from the sheriff’s office. The medical examiner’s office concluded Moncion died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Officials have not released details about the caliber of the firearm tied to the fatal shot, how long Moncion had been dead before deputies arrived, or whether any shots were fired near the truck stop.
The investigation began with the semi found in a ditch behind the Pilot Travel Center, a busy corridor off Interstate 95 in Fort Pierce. Deputies said the semi appeared to have left the roadway while turning around abruptly. The location drew attention because of prior late-night traffic and commercial truck activity there, though the sheriff did not cite any connection between the business and the case. The sheriff’s office said deputies maintained a visible presence around South Rock Road after the discovery as they searched the canal area and processed the truck.
Del Toro said the case remains open and active. Detectives are tracing the pair’s route from Georgia to Florida, reviewing surveillance video and canvassing nearby businesses for footage and witnesses from the night of Jan. 15. No additional suspects have been identified. Prosecutors will review the evidence ahead of a first appearance and any potential grand jury proceedings. The sheriff’s office said any future court hearings will be set through St. Lucie County courts; dates were not immediately available Tuesday. The department said further updates will come in written releases or another briefing if major developments occur.
By Tuesday afternoon, yellow tape still cordoned off portions of the canal bank as deputies searched the grassy shoulder with long-handled poles. Truckers idled nearby, lights humming in the dark. “It’s unsettling,” said Miguel Alvarez, who parked at the travel center Monday night and woke to the scene. “You don’t expect to hear something like this happened ten yards from where you slept.” A clerk at a nearby gas station said investigators asked for overnight receipts and camera times. “They were very specific about the window,” the clerk said, declining to give a name because of the ongoing case.
As of Wednesday morning, Jean remained at the St. Lucie County Jail and the sheriff’s office said detectives were continuing to trace the truck’s movements and examine recovered firearms. Further updates could come later this week pending lab results and court scheduling.
Author note: Last updated January 21, 2026.