Children stabbed In Los Angeles
A father repeatedly stabbed his three young sons to death with a knife in the back seat of their car outside a South Los Angeles elementary school Wednesday before it’s believed he turned the blade on himself, police said.
As reported by the AP, the father, in his 30’s, was found in his car bleeding from stab wounds to the chest, his dead sons in the back and a knife in the passenger seat. The boys, ages 8 to 12, were pronounced dead at the gruesome scene.
The father, identified by family as Luis Fuentes,, is the only suspect in the killings, police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and will be arrested if he survives his wounds, Los Angeles Police Officer Matthew Ludwig said.
Luigi, Alex and Juan Fuentes were found stabbed to death in a car near Dolores Huerta Elementary School in South Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015.
Luis Chanquin, a relative of the family, laid out candles and cars for each of the boys Wednesday afternoon. He identified the boys as Luigi, Alex and Juan Fuentes.
“They were angels, they were kids, but like I said I just hope God forgives him,” Chanquin said. “I know God has a good place for these children up there where he’s at.”
The motive was unclear and is being investigated. The father had no history of domestic violence charges or arrests, police said.
“These are horrific incidents,” police Chief Charlie Beck said. “These are incidents that have scarred not only a community but the first responders that have to handle them.”
“It is a sad day in LA,” he said.
John Sorrentino, whose furniture store is next to the crime scene, said he was the one who first spotted the bloody scene and called 911.
“I saw this man behind the steering wheel covered in blood,” he said. “I got a little bit closer, and I saw a young child in the back seat and his eyes were half open and he was covered in blood.
“He was staring out, just in space. It’s still etched in my mind.”
Children stabbed Los Angeles Luigi, Alex and Juan Fuentes.
Sorrentino said he then saw another motionless boy bent over a seat, and in the back, a leg of the third boy lying upright. That’s when he ran inside his store and called 911.
The three boys did not attend the elementary school next to the crime scene, Beck said, but they are enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Beck said the boys’ mother is deceased and that their stepmother was safe and being interviewed by detectives.
It was unclear whether the boys lived with their father.
The deaths come as homicides are on the rise in Los Angeles. In August, 39 killings drove a year-to-date uptick in murders in the nation’s second-largest city, according to police statistics. The 39 killings in August are compared with 22 the previous month and 19 last August.
Daniel Avalos, who works for Sorrentino and has five children between the ages of 3 and 12, said he saw paramedics pulling the man out of the car and one of the children still in the back.
“We’re in South-Central, so stuff like that kind of happens around here. But the fact that it’s children — that’s heart-wrenching,” Avalos said. “It’s hard to think about.”
Michelle King, the district’s deputy superintendent, released the following statement: “On behalf of Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines and all of Los Angeles Unified, I would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family of the three District students who passed away as a result of a non-school related incident. The schools they attended have been notified, and crisis counselors have been provided.”
The family of the three boys has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses. You can donate here.
This is so upsetting to me. Innocent children being killed or molested. This is so incredibly sad i could cry. My heart is aching at the thought of what they must have gone thru. Where is the mom? what can be so wrong that would take you to murder an innocent child. People are making big deal over people that break the law and or hurt others, but who is crying out for these children? Why is this happening more and more? There is a crisis and its not getting any better. The news is constantly instigating, politicians creating division. People are so angry, we are raising our children is a hateful environment, I am afraid for my grand daughter growing up in these times. You have people tearing up the streets. I pray that these angels did not suffer too much and may they rest in peace sweet babies. You were taken too soon.
Another dad gone mad and took his madness out on his helpless little children. I would not be at all surprised if police find other family members murdered at his home, maybe even the mother of the little ones. I really don’t know what else to say except I am tired and saddened to constantly read these senseless, tragic stories of parents murdering their little ones like it’s open season and their parential right to do so. He should have just aimed and buried the knife deep in his heart, it was already rotten anyway. RIP little ones, you deserved better, as all little ones do.
If you’re done with your own life, fine. I don’t condone suicide; but it is your life. If you are going to take your own life, though, don’t take the lives of anyone else along the way. those children deserved the opportunity to make lives of their own. You took that away when they were just barely getting started. There’s no excuse for that. At least if the father survives he will get to live with the pain of what he’s done. This [man?] should never get out of prison.
I have a forgiving heart however; in this case – I hope he doesn’t survive, because Lucifer is anxiously waiting to welcome him with open arms:
Just imagine these three terrified children in the back seat trapped, seeing this monster stabbing their siblings and then knowing they are next. They should not have taken this demon to a hospital, instead they should have put a bullet in his head right then and there.
May these innocent helpless children be safe in heaven now.
If you’re really wanting to commit suicide with a knife, there are much better ways than trying to stab yourself in the chest. For example, there is a huge artery in your neck that feeds the brain. There is a large artery in your inner thigh that would enable you to bleed to death before too long. There are arteries in your wrists (common place to slash for suicide victims, I hear). Why would he try to stab himself in the chest if he really wanted to die? It sounds like he kind of did, but really just wanted to kill the innocent kids, then felt guilty and knew he would get caught. Hopefully he survives to rot in jail for the rest of his life. My heart goes out to their mom.