In California, a woman and her boyfriend were charged with the murder of her 18-year-old sister and 3-week-old niece after they were found fatally shot in their Fresno home. The murder was allegedly caused by jealousy and a sibling rivalry, police said.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office shared in a statement that on Monday, Yarelly Solorio-Rivera, 22, and Martin Arroyo-Morales, 26, were each charged with two counts of murder and a special circumstance of multiple murders.
The charges are in connection to the killings of Yanelly Solorio-Rivera and her baby, Celine, who were both found dead in their home on Sept. 24.
Yarelly Solorio-Rivera received additional charges of “personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death.”
Prosecutors say that the suspects allegedly agreed to the murder before hand. Then, Yarelly Solorio-Rivera fired a 9 mm handgun multiple times at the 18-year-old and her child, killing them both.
The couple was arrested last week by Fresno police, and the department’s chief, Paco Balderrama, shared at a press conference after they were in custody that the motive discovered in the investigation was “jealousy and sibling rivalry.”
Arroyo-Morales was described by the chief as a “verified gang member.” He was identified on surveillance video, which showed him walking the area around the home where the two were killed, Balderrama said.
When police arrived at the home of Yanelly Solorio-Rivera, they discovered her fatally shot in her bed, holding her child in her arms. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, a press release shared.
If the pair is convicted of all charges, they could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.
"The District Attorney's Office is currently conducting the necessary analysis on whether to seek the death penalty and will make an announcement on that decision at a later date," officials said.
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