The church bell that rings out to announce the deaths of tribal members on the Tule River Indian Reservation tolled repeatedly on Sunday after a man killed his mother and her two brothers in a shooting that also fatally wounded his daughter. Authorities said the suspect died in a shootout with police.
Authorities cornered Hector Celaya, 31, on a country road in the middle of citrus orchards 30 miles (48 kilometers) away from the reservation and about six hours after the shootings on Saturday night, that also left two of his other children wounded.
In the car with him were two daughters, 8-year-old Alyssa and 5-year-old Linea. One had life-threatening injuries; the other did not.
By Sunday night, authorities confirmed that Alyssa died of her injuries. Police said Celaya had a tattoo of her name on his right leg.
Authorities have not disclosed what motivated Celaya to kill his relatives, who lived in a travel trailer on a family compound on the reservation of about 800 people. But tribal members said the former custodian at the reservation’s casino had a troubled past.
‘He had a real hard life,’ said Rhoda Hunter, the tribal council secretary. ‘But all of us do, we all have a hard time. But we try not to let it get the best of us.’
Authorities cornered Hector Celaya, 31, on a country road in the middle of citrus orchards 30 miles (48 kilometers) away from the reservation and about six hours after the shootings on Saturday night, that also left two of his other children wounded.
In the car with him were two daughters, 8-year-old Alyssa and 5-year-old Linea. One had life-threatening injuries; the other did not.
By Sunday night, authorities confirmed that Alyssa died of her injuries. Police said Celaya had a tattoo of her name on his right leg.
Authorities have not disclosed what motivated Celaya to kill his relatives, who lived in a travel trailer on a family compound on the reservation of about 800 people. But tribal members said the former custodian at the reservation’s casino had a troubled past.
‘He had a real hard life,’ said Rhoda Hunter, the tribal council secretary. ‘But all of us do, we all have a hard time. But we try not to let it get the best of us.’