The manhunt for a triple homicide suspect in the case of a fatal arson attack in Stockton has come to a close. Stockton Police arrested José Carmen Cardona today in Modesto, after a tip to the U.S. Marshals Service led to his apprehension at a bus station, as per a report by ABC10. The victims, a woman and two children, were found deceased in a mobile home trailer that had been set abligh on June 25.
Officers located Cardona around 4:30 p.m. yesterday and took him into custody as he was reportedly planning to leave Northern California. ABC10 further reported the suspect had been evading police since the fire and faces charges including murder, cruelty to a child, and torture. Caught in the blaze initiated around 6:30 a.m. at Visalia Court and Harbor Street, the victims were identified as 32-year-old Lisbeth Gutierrez and her two sons, 6-year-old Juan Jose Gutierrez Salazar and 10-year-old Julian Dejesus Cardona Gutierrez. Upon responding to the scene, investigators had labeled the fire as suspected arson immediately.
The relationship between Cardona and the victims is said to have been close, with him known to them previously. After moving to Stockton from Texas just months ago, Guillermo Gutierrez, the father of Lisbeth Gutierrez, detailed how the morning of the tragedy unfolded just after he left for work, according to ABC10. Among the several aliases known for Cardona, as mentioned by Stockton police, include José Carmona-Estrada, Roberto Giron-Giron, Felipe Ramirez Leon, and others.
Lasting grief grips the family as they grapple with the loss and seek justice for the slain. Jazmin Sandoval, Lisbeth's cousin, expressed in a statement originally in Spanish obtained by ABC10, "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." KCRA said that Jail records showed Cardona's array of charges also includes attempted murder. His court appearance is expected on Monday.
