A 19-year-old suspect has been arrested for fatally shooting four people during a party in California over the weekend, and then setting the house on fire with several people still inside.
Miguel Sandoval, 19, was taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of murdering Janvi Maquindang, 21; Edwin Garcia, 24; Christine Aca-ac, 26, and Matthew Montebello, KTLA reported. All four victims were found inside a burning residence in Lancaster in the early hours of Saturday morning.
When first responders arrived around 1:30 a.m., the single-story home was already engulfed in flames, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Firefighters were able to contain the blaze within the hour. Maquindang, Garcia and Aca-ac were pronounced dead at the scene. Montebello, was rushed to the hospital where he died the following evening, police said.
A 16-year-old girl, who has not been identified, was found hiding in her room, uninjured. Police said she’s the one who called for help.
Deputies also rescued another three people from the home and arriving firefighters saved two more, CBS News reported.
Authorities said it appeared a party was happening at the home before the violence unfolded, but a motive for the shooting was not provided. It’s also unclear what, if any, relationship the shooter had with the victims.
“Investigators believe this was an isolated incident,” police said at the time.
An investigation into the matter is ongoing.