VISALIA, Calif. — A gunman fired after standing over a teenage mother and her baby as they tried to escape the attack on a rural Central California home linked to drugs and gang activity early Monday, officials said.
Tulare County officials on Tuesday released new details about the “massacre” in Goshen, a community of about 3,000, including that a gunman also shot a 72-year-old grandmother as she slept in the house.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the mother and child were shot “kill-style” in the attack.
“It’s shocking that we live in a community where this kind of violence occurs,” Boudreaux said.
The victims were identified and officials said they believe they are part of a family:
- Rose Parraz, 72
- Alissa Parraz, 16
- Nycholas Parraz, 10 months
- Marcos Parraz, 19
- Eladio Parraz Jr., 52
- Jennifer Analla, 50
At around 3:30 a.m. Monday, gunfire erupted in the typically quiet Harvard Road neighborhood. It was initially believed to be active shooting due to the amount of gunfire heard.
When deputies arrived, they found two victims and a third at the doorway of Goshen’s home. One victim was still alive when emergency services arrived and was rushed to hospital after CPR was performed. He later died.
Further down the street, they discovered the teenage mother and her baby. Forensics showed she had tried to run before the gunman caught up to her and stood over her and fired several rounds into her skull, Boudreaux said.
Officers found a total of six bodies inside and outside the home.
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From the time a survivor called 911 to the time deputies arrived, it was less than 10 minutes. There were three survivors. One of the survivors hid in the house as the gunmen moved from room to room, killing those inside.
“It was clear that the gunmen stood over the 16-year-old mother and fired bullets into her head,” Boudreaux said. “The 10-month-old baby also had the same seizure. None of this was accidental.”
Authorities are looking for two suspects and are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.
The precision and level of force of the shooters suggest a connection to a drug cartel or high-ranking gang members, Boudreaux said.
“I’m not ruling out that possibility,” the sheriff said. “These people were obviously shot in the head and they were also shot in places where the shooter would know a quick death would occur… This is also similar to high gang membership and the style of executions they carry out. “
A week earlier, a search warrant for drugs had been issued following a compliance check. Marijuana, methamphetamine, money and weapons were taken from the house. Eladio Parraz, a convicted felon, was arrested. He bailed out four days later.
There’s also a history of gang and drug activity at the home, but not everyone who lived there was a gang member or drug user, Boudreaux said.
The sheriff said he is confident detectives will find the killers.
“This was a cartel-like execution. We don’t rule out the idea that the cartel was involved,” Boudreaux said. “But we’re looking at all avenues. We review every fact. We will not give up until we find these monsters.”
Samuel Pina said Alissa was his granddaughter and the baby, Nycholas, was his great-grandson. He said the family is in shock.
“I can’t get over what kind of monster would do this,” he told The The Bharat Express News on Monday.
Contributions: The The Bharat Express News
