A young woman found the beaten dead bodies of her mother and brother in their family home after becoming concerned when she suddenly could no longer reach them.
Alicia Montejano, 43, and Reuel Huerta, 19, were found unconscious by Marisa Vigil who called police Monday evening. KCRA reported.
Officers arrived at their Stockton, California, home around 11 p.m. and pronounced them both dead at the scene.
“I found them,” Vigil said ABC10. ‘I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was dying at that moment. I couldn’t breathe, and I still couldn’t get the images out of my head.’
Reuel’s father, Raul Huerta, said there would be “no Christmas” for his family this year.
“(Reuel) wouldn’t want any clothes, he wouldn’t want anything like that… he was so smart, so smart, he made money on the computer… That was his passion,” he said.
The afternoon after the killings, Stockton police named Julio Ceasar Valdez, 38, as their suspect.
A family member told KCRA that Valdez was Montejano’s boyfriend. Because there was no forced entry into the house, police classified the killings as a probable case of domestic violence.
Alicia Montejano, 43, and her 19-year-old son Reuel Huerta were found dead in their home in Stockton, California
In the photo: the entrance to the victims’ house
Officers consider Valdez dangerous and say he was last seen driving a gray four-door sedan.
Police spokesman David Scott did not say how the mother died or whether they had found a murder weapon, but did say the son died of lacerations to his body.
“The man had a laceration, which appears to be the cause of death there, pending further autopsy. As for the female, there was no gunshot wounds or anything like that,” Scott said.
Autopsies will be conducted in the coming days that will shed more light on the cause of their deaths.
At a gathering to honor the victims on Christmas Eve, Vigil said her mother was a loving and accepting person. She described her brother as a quiet and sweet teenager whose life was taken too soon.
“She will always put a smile on your face and always make you laugh no matter what. I was her best friend,” Vigil said through tears.
“I just want you to remember them, please don’t forget them.”
“Neither of them deserved this,” Raul Huerta said. ‘We need justice. He had the biggest heart. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.’
Police named 38-year-old Julio Ceasar Valdez as a suspect in the slayings. Valdez was Montejano’s boyfriend and police believe this may have been a case of domestic violence
Vigil also implored the community to come to the family or police if they have any information about Valdez.
“If anyone knows or sees anything, please tell us or contact the police because it has ripped out a huge part of our hearts. We want this man caught,” she said.
Tipsters may be eligible for cash rewards in exchange for information that helps apprehend Valdez.
The public was urged to call Stockton Crime Stoppers Inc. call at 209-946-0600; or submit a tip online via the Stockton Crime Stopper website; or download the P3 Tips mobile app to submit anonymous tips.
The family has also set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses. The fundraiser raised just over $3,000 toward the $50,000 goal.