NEWS
Breaking news:Calif. Mom of 3 and Her Teen Son Found Dead in Home by Her Daughter Days Before Christmas
Police in California are looking for a man they suspect killed a mother and her teenage son.
Alicia Montejano, 43, and 19-year-old Reuel Huerta were found slain in their Stockton, Calif., home on Monday, Dec. 23, local police said in a statement.
The Stockton Police Department did not name the victims, but they were identified in a GoFundMe, as well as by ABC 10 and KCRA, which cited the San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office and family members, respectively. (ABC 10 reported Montejano’s first name to be Alice, but KCRA and the GoFundMe referred to her as Alicia).
Police named 38-year-old Julio Ceasar Valdez as a suspect, but have been unable to locate him and consider him a fugitive.
A relative told KCRA that Valdez was Montejano’s boyfriend, and authorities believe the killing was domestic in nature.
Marisa Vigil, Montejano’s daughter, told KCRA 3 hat she had not heard from her mother all day on Monday and grew concerned.
Vigil said she dropped by Montejano’s residence to check on her and Huerta, only to find their bodies inside the residence. She then called 911, she said.
Inside the home, officers found lacerations on Reuel’s body as well as a weapon, police told KCRA 3.
In the GoFundMe set up by family members, the mother and son are being remembered for bringing “joy to all those around them.”
“[They] shared a family with an unbreakable bond,” reads the fundraiser.
At a memorial event on Christmas eve, Vigil pleaded to the community to help find the suspect.
“I just want you to keep them remembered, don’t forget about it, please,” she said, per KCRA.
Tipsters could be eligible for cash rewards in exchange for information that assists the apprehension of Valdez. The public is urged to call Stockton Crime Stoppers Inc. at 209-946-0600; or submit a Tip online using the Stockton Crime Stopper’s Website at StocktonCrimeStoppers.org; or download the P3 Tips Mobile App to submit anonymous tips.