Arrests made in investigation of 6 bodies found in remote Southern California desert; victims identified
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.
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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