Authorities said they have arrested suspects in connection to the six people found dead in a remote area of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County last week, which apparently stemmed from a dispute over marijuana.
The killings happened on January 23, 2024, in El Mirage, just 10 miles north of Adelanto, around 8:15 p.m., according to the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department.
When crews arrived at the scene, near Lessing Avenue and Shadow Mountain Road, they originally found five deceased individuals. A sixth individual was discovered in the morning.
Sergeant Michael Warrick, with SBSD's Specialized Investigations Division's Homicide Detail, spoke at a press conference on Monday to provide additional information on the investigation.
"Dispatchers received a 911 call from a subject who spoke Spanish. The caller told dispatchers that he was shot, but he did not know the location he was at," Warrick said. The call ended before they could get further information, but the dispatchers were able to trace the phone's location to where the bodies were found.
Due to the remote location, SBSD requested assistance from California Highway Patrol, who lent an airship to their search for the scene of the report.
"Once overhead the area, officers discovered a crime scene and what appeared to be multiple gunshot wound victims, two vehicles and one of the vehicles ... had multiple gunshot strikes in it," Warrick said.
They found the bodies of four males, all of which were severely burned, a body inside of the two cars and a sixth victim a short distance away suffering from a gunshot wound.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Three of the victims were identified at Monday's press conference. A fourth has been identified but investigators are working to inform next of kin before providing their identity.
They have been identified as Baldomar Mondragon Albaron, 34 of Adelanto, Franklin Noel Bonilla, 22 of Hesperia and Kevin Darial Bonilla, 25 of Hesperia. The fourth is a 45-year-old man. The fifth and sixth victims have not yet been identified.
"As far as the motives, we are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana, which resulted in the murders," Warrick said. "Through extensive investigation ... on Sunday, January 28, 2023, we were able to search multiple search warrants in the town of Apple Valley, Adelanto and the Los Angeles County area of Pinon Hills."
The five suspects have been identified as Apple Valley and Adelanto residents Toniel Baez-Duarte, 34, Mateo Baez-Duarte, 24, Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, 33, Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sabaria, 34, and Jose Manual Burgos Parra, 26.
Warrick said that detectives recovered evidence, including eight firearms during the search warrants. Forensic scientists will work to determine if they were used in the murders.
"We are confident we have arrested all the suspects in this case," Warrick said. "They are currently in custody with no bail."
He would not disclose whether investigators believed the incident was cartel-related.
"Illicit marijuana is the driving force behind these murders, that's all we really know at this point," Dicus said. "I think we need to acknowledge really why we're here and why we're talking about illegal marijuana."
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus also spoke at the press conference, criticizing Proposition 64, which lessened charges connected to illicit marijuana from felony to misdemeanor status in 2016.
"The reality of this is, by allowing that we've unleashed a plague that is the black market of marijuana and cartel activity and a number of victims," Dicus said.
With SkyCal overhead, two cars could be seen near where the bodies were located, one of which appeared to be riddled with bullet holes. The cars were surrounded by dozens of evidence markers.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok