West Sacramento Father Suspected Of Killing His 3 Children
4 p.m. UPDATE: The Yolo County coroner has identified the three children found dead in a West Sacramento apartment on Wednesday.
They are Kelvin Hodges, 11; Julie Hodges, 9; and Lucas Hodges, 7 months.
West Sacramento Police Sgt. Roger Kinney said the mother was a victim of domestic violence but that he didn't know the extent of her injuries.
He said she did not witness Hodges kill the children as it was initially reported. Sacramento television station KCRA earlier reported that Kinney told the station the woman had witnessed the killings.
Kinney said investigators told him "she was in close proximity."
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WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) – A man is behind bars facing murder charges and three children are dead after a report of domestic violence in a West Sacramento apartment.
The incident happened shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Timbers Apartments in West Sacramento, near Jefferson Boulevard.
When investigators arrived, three children were found dead in the apartment.
Authorities say the mother of the children was the victim of domestic violence. Police say she did not observe the murder of her children.
"It's horrific and it's very difficult to deal with," said Roger Kinney with the West Sacramento Police Department. "This [investigation] is going to take not hours, not days, it's going to take a long time a long time to come to grips with what happened there."
Police say the suspect, 33-year-old Robert William Hodges, is the woman's husband and the father of the children.
Early Thursday morning, Hodges was located by the California Highway Patrol off Interstate 80 off West El Camino. Hodges was arrested and was booked into the Yolo County Jail; he's facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
At this point, authorities do not know the direct relationship Hodges had with the children.
Thursday, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon released a statement about the tragedy.
"West Sacramento is not used to this type of tragedy," Cabaldon wrote. "Our police and fire personnel responded quickly at the scene and attempted lifesaving efforts immediately. They are devastated they could not do more, but we are proud of the way they handled a challenging set of circumstances with professionalism and sensitivity."
Two of the children were students at Southport Elementary School, the district confirms. Avigil for the children is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Southport Elementary along Linden Road.
