California police on Friday has called a man suspected of killing three people at a cemetery "extremely dangerous." A search has been issued by authorities of the man identified as Jose Luis Torres Garcia.
The 33-year-old man is suspected of killing Jaime Covarrubias Espindola, 50, thirty-eight-year-old Jose Maria Aguilar-Espejel, and Rodrigo Aguilar-Espejel, 28 after their bodies were found at Perris Valley Cemetery in Perris on Monday. The cause of death of the victims has not been released.
The suspect who is at large is said to have acted alone in the killings and is described as "armed and extremely dangerous" Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was quoted as saying by Associated Press. While the police have not established the motive behind the killings, officials said the murders were not random. The victims and Garcia knew each other and were often seen driving to the cemetery together.
Garcia had a DUI warrant and a drug warrant issued in California. A felony warrant has been issued according to the sheriff's office, and the police have appealed to the public to alert authorities if they find him.
Mexico's serial killer?
The triple murder case in California came a month after Mexican authorities called a suspect arrested for killing and burying bodies in a Tijuana property is a possible serial killer. The statement was made after a fifth body was uncovered by authorities.
While the name of the suspect has not been released by the authorities, Baja California state prosecutor, Hiram Sanchez, said that the suspect is the son-in-law of the first couple found buried in the property last week. It is reported he may have lured victims with car sales offers.
Unnamed suspect confessed to killing his in-laws
The unnamed suspect confessed to killing his in-laws: Maria Teresa Lopez, 65, and her husband, Jesus Ruben Lopez, 70 and burying their bodies in late January. The elderly couple came to Mexico on January 10 to retrieve rent from properties amounting to around $6,400 that the suspect had supposedly collected on their behalf. Authorities said he killed the dual US-Mexican citizens over a dispute over money and property.
After the bodies of the elderly couple were found at the property, two other bodies in an advanced state of decomposition were retrieved from the crime scene. A recent fifth unidentified body of a male found buried led authorities to believe the suspect may be a serial killer. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the bodies found.
Officials are investigating disappearances and missing person reports in which they were last seen near the property located in southern Tijuana. While no official statement about the suspect's modus operandi has been released, reports suggest officials are investigating reports of people who have gone missing after inquiring about cars for sale.
