New Jersey Man Arrested on California Beach After Girlfriend’s Body Found in a Fridge

Lifestyle
Paul Johns
March 4, 2025
10 minutes read

Photo Screenshot by 6abc Philadelphia / YouTube

A New Jersey man is facing murder charges after his girlfriend’s body was discovered stuffed inside a fridge in a remote state forest—months after he allegedly dumped it there and fled to Mexico.

Police arrested 45-year-old Christopher Blevins on January 13 in San Diego, but not because they were looking for him. Instead, he was picked up by officers for setting an illegal beach fire at Ocean Beach. What they didn’t know at the time was that he was wanted in New Jersey for the gruesome death of 50-year-old Laura Hughes.

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Hughes’ body was found in December 2024 inside a refrigerator in Belleplain State Forest, Cape May County. According to authorities, the fridge had been wrapped in a sleeping bag, tied down with blue ratchet straps, and covered in carpet—clear signs that someone had tried to hide it.

Investigators believe Blevins killed Hughes in late July before ditching the fridge in the woods and taking off to Mexico. His time there is still a mystery, but in August, he voluntarily turned himself in to police in Mexico City. According to an affidavit, he told officers he had been involved in a “violent incident” in Runnemede, New Jersey, and admitted that he had “panicked” afterward. However, he gave a vague explanation, reportedly telling police he “may have killed someone in a bar fight.”

What happened between his confession in Mexico and his arrest in California is still unclear, but prosecutors wasted no time once they got their hands on him. Blevins is now facing first-degree murder charges, along with second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension. Authorities are working on extraditing him back to New Jersey to stand trial.

The case has been particularly heartbreaking for Hughes’ loved ones. A mother of two teenage daughters, aged 13 and 18, her death has left a massive void in their lives. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support them in the wake of this tragedy.

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Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, praised law enforcement agencies for their efforts in tracking down Blevins, saying, “While nothing can ever undo the pain of this tragic loss, we hope this outcome brings some measure of peace to her family and all who cared for her.”

He also emphasized that this case serves as a powerful reminder that justice is possible when agencies work together, ensuring that “victims and their families are never forgotten.”