A migrant who was deported three times has been accused of fatally stabbing a young woman, her two-week-old son, and the grandmother of the infant. Joaquin Escoto, 28, allegedly committed the horrific murder spree on the morning of May 28 in Modesto, California, a city east of San Francisco, according to the Modesto Police Department.
A senior law enforcement official told the California Post that Escoto was deported from the US three times, and when ICE attempted to deport him again after a DUI arrest last year, the federal agency was rebuffed due to California's sanctuary law. Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, 23, and her mother, Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos, 54, were publicly identified as two of the murder victims. The infant, Mateo Gonzalez, was identified by family members.
Modesto police found the 23-year-old mother dead 'with multiple stab wounds' after responding to a 911 call around 9.20am last Thursday. Officers then found the grandmother who had been stabbed to death as well. They also found the two-week-old 'suffering from apparent stab wounds,' according to the department. The infant was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A surviving three-year-old was located in the house and brought to a hospital for evaluation. Child Protective Services took custody of the toddler.
The Modesto Police Department said investigators believe Escoto was in a relationship with Gonzalez-Nunez and that he was the father of the murdered infant and the toddler. He is also believed to have lived with the family. During the initial investigation at the murder scene, police determined that Escoto was likely still in the area and established a perimeter.
The Modesto Police Department's Hostage Negotiation Team, Investigations Division, and SWAT were called in to assist. A nearby elementary school was placed on lockdown 'as a precaution,' police said. Students and faculty were transported to a high school where they were safely reunited with their families. Police found Escoto hiding in a nearby residence and arrested him 'without incident.'
He was charged with three counts of murder, enhancement charges for multiple murders and use of a deadly weapon, willful cruelty to a child, and charges related to a prior DUI warrant he was wanted for, according to jail records. Escoto was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail, where he is being held without bond. His court date for the DUI charges was scheduled for Monday. No court date has yet been set for the murder and child cruelty charges, according to jail records.
According to the law enforcement official who spoke with the California Post, after Escoto was arrested on DUI charges last June, ICE requested his jail release date so he could be deported a fourth time. But local police were unable to comply with the request due to California's sanctuary law, and Escoto was released. He allegedly committed the triple homicide on his family less than a year later.
'These Democrats lecture us about “their values” and how “compassionate” they are while their sick sanctuary extremism sets monsters like this free to murder and terrorize our communities,' California governor candidate Steve Hilton told the California Post. On a GoFundMe set up to help cover the cost of funeral expenses and counseling services for the victims' family, Gonzalez-Nunez was described as 'a devoted mother whose love for her children was endless.' Nunez-Villalobos was remembered as 'a cherished grandmother who loved her family deeply.' And Mateo, the two-week-old, was described as 'a precious baby whose smile and innocence brought happiness to everyone around him.' 'They will forever remain in our hearts and will never be forgotten,' the fundraising page said. The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE and the Modesto Police Department for comment.
