A father in Modesto was arrested over the weekend for the deaths of three young girls and two women, including his daughter and her mother.
Martin Martinez, 30, of Modesto, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday after the bodies of five females, all of
whom were related, were found a day earlier in a home, according to The Associated Press. Two of the victims were Martinez's young daughter and the girl's mother.
The suspect was detained about 80 miles away in San Jose and taken to a Santa Clara County jail.
The children’s ages range from 6 months to 6 years old, according to Heather Graves, a spokeswoman for Modesto police.
"It's devastating," Graves told KCRA.com. "It's devastating not only to the families to the victims but to the neighbors here, as well, and to our law enforcement."
Authorities initially named Martinez a “person of interest” and said he was last seen driving a red Lincoln Navigator.
Later on, officers found the car abandoned in the southeastern sector of San Jose, police representative Albert Morales said. Martinez apparently switched vehicles and drove off accompanied by a relative. Authorities then found the other car in a parking lot just after midnight and waited for Martinez to reappear, Morales said. He was then apprehended without incident.
Police discovered the bodies Saturday afternoon while responding to a request to check the residents, according to Graves.
Nimala Kumar, who lives just five houses down from where the five bodies were discovered, said the street is usually quiet and there aren't ever any problems at the residence.
"It's a very quiet street. We all pretty much keep to ourselves," she said. "For something like this to happen is unbelievable."
Related Stories: