John Jefferson
Clockwise from top left: Janvi Maquindang, Christine Aca-ac, Matthew Montebello, and Edwin Garcia (GoFundMe).
A 19-year-old man in California is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and three of her roommates earlier this month, fatally shooting each while they slept and then setting fire to the house in an attempt to cover his tracks.
Miguel Diego Sandoval was taken into custody and charged with four counts of murder, one felony count of first-degree residential burglary with person present, and one felony count of arson of an inhabited structure or property, authorities announced.
The victims of the horrific slayings were identified as Edwin Garcia, 24, Matthew Montebello, 23, Janvi Maquindang, 24, and Christine Aca-ac, 29. Maquindang and Aca-ac were brother and sister.
“It is further alleged that the defendant intentionally killed the victims by means of lying in wait, committed multiple murders, and used a handgun,” prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
According to prosecutors, Sandoval at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 16 allegedly broke into the victims’ residence in the 44500 block of N. Tabler Avenue in Lancaster, a city in northern Los Angeles county, where all four of the victims were asleep. Once inside, Sandoval proceeded to fatally shoot each of them, prosecutors say.
“Sandoval then set fire to the house to cover up the crimes,” the release states. “Mr. Garcia, Ms. Aca-ac, and Mr. Maquindang were pronounced dead at the scene. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies rescued Mr. Montebello from the burning house, but he later died at the hospital from his injuries.”
Authorities also noted that there was a fifth person in the home who was able to get away from the massacre unharmed.
According to a report from Los Angeles CW affiliate KTLA, when first responders arrived at the home, it was completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control by about 2:30 a.m., which is when they made entry and discovered the bodies inside.
Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC reported that the lone survivor of the vicious attack was the 16-year-old sister of one of the victims. She reportedly heard the gunshots and hid inside of her closet, where she called 911.
“The family member we have at the station heard the gunshots around 1:27 this morning … she stayed in her room because she was scared, and that’s when deputies were able to locate her and extract her,” Steve Dejong of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office told KABC.
Sandoval made his first court appearance this week, showing up to the proceeding shirtless, video provided by the Daily Mail shows. According to KTLA, he was an ex-boyfriend of one of the housemates, but additional information about the relationship was not immediately available.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of these four lives, including a brother and sister, who were callously shot as they peacefully slept in their beds,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges. “This shooting has devastated the Lancaster community, and our hearts go out to the victims’ families, who are suffering from this sudden, incomprehensible loss.”
Sandoval is currently being held in the Los Angeles County Jail without bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on Jan. 27, 2024.
If convicted, Sandoval faces a possible sentence of life without the possibility for parole.
Separate GoFundMe pages have been set up for Maquindang and Aca-ac, Garcia, and Montebello.
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