STOCKTON, Calif. — A man was arrested on suspicion of killing three people in a Stockton arson fire in June, police said Friday.
The Stockton Police Department said a woman and two minors were found dead inside a mobile home trailer that had been set on fire June 25. The victims were identified as 6-year-old Juan Jose Gutierrez Salazar, 10-year-old Julian Dejesus Gutierrez and their mom, 32-year-old Lisbeth Gutierrez. A 14-year-old safely escaped the flames.
Police have been searching for the suspect, later identified as Jose Cardona, since the fire. He is accused of setting fire to the trailer using an accelerant while the three victims were sleeping inside.
Prosecutors believe Lisbeth was Cardona's girlfriend. They say Cardona was in the country illegally and had been both deported and convicted of crimes in the past.
Cardona was arrested in Modesto and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail. He's facing several charges including murder, attempted murder and child endangerment.
The U.S. Marshals Service said it received a tip around 2 p.m. Wednesday that Cardona was seen at a bus station in Modesto. Officers found him and took him into custody around 4:30 p.m. They said Cardona was planning to leave Northern California that evening and potentially go to Southern California.
"His demeanor was 'you got me,' he didn't fight his arrest. He let us take him into custody without incident," said US Marshall Lasha Boyden. "When our most vulnerable population is victimized, it hits us all at the core... not just in the Central Valley, but across our nation."
During a press conference Friday, law enforcement said that in searching for Cardona, officers had to cross several state lines.
"The family is in shock," said San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas at the press conference. "They ask right now that we keep them in their prayers."
The Stockton Police Department previously identified him as Jose Carmona. They said he has several aliases and was known by the following names: Jose Carmona-Estrada, Roberto Giron-Giron, Felipe Ramirez Leon, Juan Alonzo-Alemndares, Juan Alonzo, Jose Avilla Cardona and Andres Vecerra Torres.
He is set to appear for arraignment in San Joaquin County court on Monday.
Case History
The Stockton Police Department said Cardona lit the young family's RV on fire Tuesday, June 25 on Visalia Court near Harbor Street.
Guillermo Gutierrez, the father of Lisbeth Gutierrez, said she and Cardona had been in a relationship for a few years and just moved to Stockton from Texas months ago.
Guillermo, Lisbeth and her three kids were living together in the RV on Visalia Court. Guillermo had just left for work early Tuesday morning when he said the unimaginable happened.
Police say Cardona lit the family's RV on fire while Lisbeth and the boys were sleeping inside around 6:30 a.m. Only one of the boys, the oldest, was able to make it out safely.
In a written statement originally in Spanish, Jazmin Sandoval, Lisbeth's cousin, said that while the family is grieving and trying to fundraise to bring the victims' bodies back to Mexico, they are also demanding justice.
"My cousin was a very noble person. She didn't like disputes and never fought. She was only dedicated to her children and was very playful," the statement said. "The family wants justice. We are shattered. Sometimes we think it's a bad dream, we can't believe this much evil. We are very sad, broken."
Watch more on ABC10 | Woman, 2 minors dead after arson suspect sets fire to Stockton mobile home
