Salvador Vasquez-Oliva, 56, was arrested in San Francisco after it was believed he was involved in the Sacramento homicide of two adults and two juveniles. According to Sgt. Bryce Heinlein, Vasquez-Oliva has now been taken to the Sacramento County Jail.
According to the police spokesman, a relative of the deceased called police, believing something was wrong at the family's home.
When police broke into the home they discovered the four victims. The victims have not immediately been identified by the police and there are currently no details on the ages or genders. Police say they have yet to determine a motive for the homicides. However, the Fresno Bee quotes a neighbor of the victims, Rita Munoz, as describing them as a family - a couple with two children, aged 11 and 14.
Relationship with the victims?
Investigators quickly identified Vasquez-Oliva as a suspect in the killings, but have not said if he has any relationship to the victims. Heinlein did say, however, that the suspect was probably known by the victims.
At a press conference on Thursday, Heinlein said that according to preliminary investigations, the homicides do not appear to be a random act.
It is still unclear when the victims were actually killed and Heinlein did not say exactly how they died. Heinlein went on to say that they had received no reports of shots being fired in the home or any other problems, prior to the phone call from the worried relative.
Another neighbor, Java Caldwell, was quoted by the Daily News as asking how anyone can be capable of something like this. Caldwell asked what a person’s thought process would be to do such a thing saying if they are so angry with life, why not do something to yourself, rather than take another person’s life.
Sacramento mayor stands with the victim’s families
The New York Daily News quotes Mayor Darrell Steinberg as saying they don’t know the victims’ identities yet, but that their heart goes out to their families and also to the schools, as children were also involved in the killings. Steinberg went on to say that the city is ready to stand with the families and their communities and to help in any way they can.