The gruesome kidnapping and murder of a man in Southern California last week stemmed from an ongoing business dispute between the victim and his abductors, prosecutors confirmed on Monday.

The district attorney in San Bernardino County revealed the details as he announced a felony murder charge against one of the suspects, Jianquan Bo of Irvine, Calif., for his role in the killing of Shukur Aikebaer.

Mr. Bo, 66, and his brother, Zhengfeng Bo, 67, led sheriff’s deputies on a brief car chase last Wednesday after kidnapping Mr. Aikebaer, 60, from his home on Monteverde Drive in Chino Hills.

After the chase ended in a nearby residential area about a mile away, the younger Mr. Bo got out of the car and surrendered to the authorities. But the elder Mr. Bo dashed to the back of the vehicle and fatally shot Mr. Aikebaer, who had been stuffed in the trunk. The sheriff’s deputies then opened fire, and Zhengfeng Bo died at the scene.

Officials have said that the deputies did not know Mr. Aikebaer was in the trunk until after the shooting. He also died at the scene.

“Obviously there’s been some type of dispute, perhaps either decision-making within the business or some financial loss that led to a dispute,” said Jason Anderson, the district attorney.

Jianquan Bo, the passenger and sole survivor, has now been charged with murder with the special circumstance of kidnapping, which prosecutors said could lead to the death penalty. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

“There’s a potential the way it’s charged that we could see life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, but those decisions are never made at this stage,” Mr. Anderson said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.