In a shocking and tragic incident, a 38-year-old man, Prospero Guadalupe Serna, faced charges of murder on Wednesday following the merciless beating and stabbing deaths of his two young children at their Lancaster residence.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office identified the accused with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of assault of a child under 8 years, resulting in death, and one count of child abuse.
Serna was taken into custody last Saturday near the family's home in the vicinity of Los Angeles after law enforcement responded to a distressing report of child abuse at the residence. Upon arrival, deputies made a harrowing discovery – the two children had been brutally beaten and fatally stabbed. Furthermore, two other children, one injured, were found hiding within the house.
The victims, identified as Serna's 7- and 3-year-old daughters in court documents, succumbed to the heinous attack. Prosecutors revealed that the children's mother was present during the assault, and Serna was arrested a few blocks away from the scene.
If found guilty as charged, Serna could face a severe sentence, including life imprisonment without parole and an additional 25 years behind bars. An arraignment was set for Wednesday, with uncertainties lingering about Serna's legal representation.
The formal accusation encompasses special circumstances, alleging multiple murders, Serna's personal use of a sharp object during the crime, causing severe injury to a child under five years old, and a previous 2017 conviction for unlawfully causing a fire.
District Attorney George Gascón expressed profound sorrow at the devastating loss, describing the incident as an appalling act of brutality that has deeply shaken the community. Gascón conveyed heartfelt sympathies for the innocent lives taken and the ongoing trauma faced by those affected.
