Three small children were found stabbed to death in Reseda Saturday morning and their 30-year-old mother was taken into custody hours later in Tulare County, authorities said.
Los Angeles police were called to the 8000 block of Reseda Boulevard about 9:30 a.m. on a report of a possible death at an apartment and found the three youngsters dead inside, police said.
The children ranged from under 1 year to 3 years old, Los Angeles police Lt. Raul Jovel said. They were discovered inside the apartment by their grandmother, an LAPD spokesperson told NBC.
Police said they were searching for Liliana Carrillo and had received reports she committed a carjacking in the Bakersfield area and may have been driving a stolen silver Toyota pickup truck, license plate No. J258T0.
She was arrested sometime before 2:30 p.m. in the Ponderosa area of Tulare County, police said. Further details regarding how police found her, or if she was in the stolen truck, were not immediately disclosed.
“Usually you go where you’re safe, so she may have ties up there,” Jovel said.
Police later said she was considered the sole suspect in the case.
Lupe Cuevas, a Reseda neighbor, held back tears Saturday afternoon as she watched investigators walk in and out of the apartment gates.
Cuevas, who lives in the same complex, recalled interacting with the three children and their grandmother during afternoon walks around the neighborhood.
One of the children, a girl, was drawn to her Chihuahua, Rosie, Cuevas said.
“Those babies were such sweet little ones,” she said. “It hurts.”
Cuevas thought the girl was the middle child of the three.
“She wasn’t shy. She was sweet.” Cuevas said. “An angel shouldn’t have to go that way.”
As of 4 p.m., the bodies were still inside the apartment. Authorities awaited the arrival of the coroner.
Investigators were trying to determine a motive.
“Obviously, they’ll be talking with this lady at length to try to figure out what’s going on in her mind,” Jovel said.
Sidewalk along apartments on 8000 block of Reseda Blvd. blocked as police investigate deaths of three children. #reseda pic.twitter.com/CZ3O8QM0tA
— Ryan Carter (@ryinie) April 10, 2021
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A relative of Carrillo’s in Reseda said he could not talk when reached by a reporter.
The block includes multiple apartment complexes, where working-class families go to and from big, multi-unit complexes while cars buzz by on a busy Reseda Boulevard. Nearby is church and a hospital.
“I’m a father. I have a son, so this brings a lot concern to me” said Ali Jan, who lives nearby. “It’s really sad for children to be involved.”
Sappira Cecena, 18, who lives a few blocks from where the stabbings occurred, said events like these make her feel less safe.
Recently, Cecena heard news of a stabbing near her apartment and has since been reluctant to go out alone, she said. She usually goes out with friends.
“It’s the sad reality of things,” Cecena said. “I can see and hear it every night, whether it’s helicopters or sirens.”
Today at about 9:30 AM, West Valley Patrol Officers responded to the 8000 block of Reseda Blvd for a radio call involving a possible death at one of the apartments. The officers went inside an apartment and discovered 3 children at scene.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 10, 2021
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This story will be updated as information becomes available.
Source: Orange County Register
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