On Sunday, a 30-year-old Modesto man was arrested for the murders of two women and three children in their home.
Heather Graves of the Modesto Police Department told local ABC News affiliate ABC10 that police had arrived at the home around 3:30 p.m. after a family member called them Saturday afternoon. The police found two women and three little girls between the ages of six months and six years old–all dead, according to the police’s post on Facebook.
Martin Martinez, the suspect in the murders, is the biological father of one of the children, according to the Facebook post. He was captured at around 1 a.m. on Sunday, after San Jose police were alerted by Modesto police on Saturday that Martinez might be driving a red Lincoln Navigator SUV to travel to a family member’s home in San Jose.
At around 10 p.m. Saturday, San Jose PD officers located the Lincoln Navigator, but found out Martinez had left with a family member in a different vehicle; at around 12:47 a.m. Sunday, they found that vehicle in the parking lot at Oakridge Mall, then waited until Martinez returned to the vehicle before arresting him.
CNN named three of the victims: Amanda Crews and two of Crews’ daughters, Elizabeth Ripley and Rachel. Rachel was apparently Martinez’s daughter.