Two women and an infant were found stabbed to death in Modesto and the suspected attacker was found hiding in a nearby home on Thursday, police said.
The Modesto Police Department said officers responded to a home in the area of Monterey Avenue and Thrasher avenues after 9:20 a.m. regarding a reported disturbance.
When officers arrived, they found a 23-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Officers continued to search the home and found a second woman, 54, and an infant, both with stab wounds. The 54-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene while the infant died at the hospital, police said.
An additional child, 4, was found inside the home and taken to the hospital for treatment.
“This is a tragedy. Words cannot express how terrible this incident is,” Lt. Eric Schuller with the Modesto Police Department said.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Joaquin Escoto, was later found hiding inside a nearby house and was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Investigators believe Escoto shared a child with one of the victims.
KCRA 3 spoke with family members of the victims who were at the crime scene on Thursday.
“Unfortunately, it was my family. My aunt and her daughter, my cousin, and her son passed away. Unfortunately, it was murder,” Javier said. “The baby was about two weeks, three weeks.”
He said his family is devastated to lose three loved ones.
“Suspects caught. You can’t really do anything to bring them back no more, but we just know that he’s going to be in there for a long time, you know, suffering, thinking about what he did. That’s what’s going to be killing him,” he said.
Orville Wright Elementary School was placed on a precautionary locked down, as it is near the investigation scene.
A note was sent to staff and families that said police placed the school on lockdown around 9:30 a.m.
“Orville Wright Elementary will remain on precautionary lockdown for an extended period of time while law enforcement completes its response,” read the note from Orville Wright Elementary School Principal Javier Lara. “All students and employees are safe and secure on campus. Staff continue to support students and maintain normal classroom activities as much as possible during the lockdown.”
Monterey and Empire avenues are partially closed, according to the school’s note.
Modesto City Schools precautionary relocated students and staff to La Loma Junior High School. Reunification efforts were successfully completed, police said.
Police said detectives believe the assault was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
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