Current:Home > reviewsArrests made in investigation of 6 bodies found in remote Southern California desert; victims identified -ProfitSphere Academy
Arrests made in investigation of 6 bodies found in remote Southern California desert; victims identified
Poinbank Exchange View
Date:2025-04-07 08:56:09
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Five suspects have been arrested in connection to the six bodies found in a remote area of the Southern California desert last week, authorities said Monday.
Authorities believe a marijuana dispute may have led to the killings, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said during a press conference late Monday afternoon. The six bodies were discovered last week in the Mojave Desert near El Mirage, California, an unincorporated community about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles County.
Deputies were requested to respond to "an area off Highway 395 in El Mirage" for a wellness check on Tuesday night. Upon arrival, Sgt. Michael Warrick said officers found a crime scene with several gunshot wound victims and two vehicles, including one vehicle with multiple gunshot strikes.
Four of the victims had also sustained severe burns while a fifth victim was located in one of the vehicles, according to Warrick. The sixth victim was found a "short distance away" with a gunshot wound, he added.
Following an extensive investigation, Warrick said authorities served multiple search warrants on Sunday in areas of San Bernardino County and near Los Angeles County. The department arrested five suspects who were identified as Toniel Baez-Duarte, 34; Mateo Baez-Duarte, 24; Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, 33; Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia, 34; and Jose Manuel Burgos Parra, 26.
"This is an area known for illicit marijuana," San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said. "It looks like illicit marijuana was the driving force behind these murders."
The investigation remains ongoing, according to Warrick.
Stay in the know:For more news of the day, sign up for Daily Briefing.
Authorities discovered crime scene after 911 call
Warrick said dispatchers had received a 911 call Tuesday night from a man, who was identified as one of the victims, saying he was shot but "did not know the location he was at." Dispatchers tracked the victim's phone to the remote area where the six victims were found.
All six victims suffered from fatal gunshot injuries and four were burned at the scene by the suspects, Warrick said. The two vehicles found at the scene were a Dodge Caravan and a Chevy Trailblazer, where the fifth victim was found.
Authorities released the names of three victims: Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran, 34, of Adelanto, California; Franklin Noel Bonilla, 22, of Hesperia, California; and Kevin Dariel Bonilla, 25, of Hesperia. Investigators believe Franklin Bonilla was the man who called 911.
A 45-year-old man was also identified but his name was withheld pending family notification and officials were still working to identify the remaining two victims.
Motive appears to be a dispute over marijuana
Authorities served search warrants Sunday in Apple Valley, Adelanto, and Piñon Hills, all in San Bernardino County and near Los Angeles County. Investigators also recovered eight firearms from the search, according to Warrick.
"We are still conducting follow-up investigation but we are confident we have arrested all the suspects in this case," Warrick said. "They are currently in custody with no bail."
The suspects were arrested in what Warrick described as a compound that was "close to a (marijuana) grow that was being formed but wasn't active yet." He added that the areas authorities were investigating were also adjacent to marijuana grows.
Authorities said they were unable to comment if the incident was cartel-related but believed it was related to illicit marijuana.
Contributing: Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press; Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
veryGood! (9355)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Transgender minors in Nebraska, their families and doctors brace for a new law limiting treatment
- Giants fire manager Gabe Kapler two years after 107-win season. Could Bob Melvin replace him?
- Watch livestream: Police give update on arrest of Duane Davis in Tupac Shakur's killing
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- To prevent gun violence, these peacemakers start with the basics
- DOJ charges IRS consultant with allegedly leaking wealthy individuals' tax info
- Fourth soldier from Bahrain dies of wounds after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attack troops on Saudi border
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Tennessee teacher accused of raping child is arrested on new charges after texting victim, police say
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Seattle Officer Daniel Auderer off patrol duty after laughing about death of woman fatally hit by police SUV
- Maui wildfire missed signals stoke outrage as officials point fingers
- Lorenzo, a 180-pound Texas tortoise, reunited with owner after backyard escape
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- 2 Indianapolis officers indicted for shooting Black man who was sleeping in his car, prosecutor says
- Latest search for remains of the Tulsa Race Massacre victims ends with seven sets of remains exhumed
- Why does honey crystalize? It's complex – but it has a simple fix.
Recommendation
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Dianne Feinstein, California senator who broke glass ceilings, dies at 90
Inflation drops to a two-year low in Europe. It offers hope, but higher oil prices loom
On the brink of a government shutdown, the Senate tries to approve funding but it’s almost too late
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Disney, DeSantis legal fights ratchet up as company demands documents from Florida governor
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s body returns to San Francisco on military flight
A child sex abuse suspect kills himself after wounding marshals trying to arrest him, police say