On Saturday afternoon, after 3:30 p.m., Modesto police discovered the bodies of five female individuals, including three children, in a home on Nob Hill Court. This prompted a search for a person of interest identified as 30-year old Martin Martinez, who police say had a "past relationship" with one of the victims and is the biological father of one of the children found dead. According to the Modesto Bee, the children ranged in age from 6-months to 6-years old. Police said all five females are related.
Martinez was located and taken into custody by the San Jose Police, the Modesto Police Department tweeted early Sunday morning. He has since been booked on suspicion of murder in the Santa Clara County jail.
Police have not released any details on a possible motive or how the victims died. "This is quite a large crime scene, especially with five deceased," Modesto Police spokeswoman Heather Graves told the Bee on Saturday. "They're still analyzing the scene and getting information."
Residents say the crime was a shock for the normally quiet area. "It's really scary something like this happening," said neighbor Aruna Rao.
Martin Martinez, 30, who was arrested in connection with the deaths of five individuals in Modesto (Modesto PD)
