Central Valley Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting Grandmother, Father's Girlfriend At Christmas Gathering
REEDLEY, Fresno County (AP) — A 23-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting his grandmother and his father's girlfriend and firing shots at his father on Christmas as the family gathered to exchange gifts in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Austin Alvarez was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. He remains in the Fresno County jail on $2.5 million bail. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Detectives have not yet determined Alvarez's motive. He arrived at a family member's home in Reedley, a city about 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of San Francisco in Central California, and began firing a gun.
Alvarez shot and killed his 58-year-old grandmother, Magdalena Alvarez, and his father's girlfriend, 39-year-old Meisa Rashid, around 1:45 p.m., the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Alvarez fled the home and fired shots at his father, who was in a parked vehicle outside, but did not hit him, the sheriff's office said.
Authorities found Alvarez about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away and took him into custody.
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