Three family members found shot to death in home near Montclair; deputies search for suspect
Homicide investigators are searching for a suspect after deputies found three family members shot to death at a home near Montclair on Monday night.
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department went to a home in the 4800 block of Ramona Place shortly after 9 p.m. after receiving reports that three people had been found dead, according to Public Information Officer Mara Rodriguez.
All three victims had gunshot wounds, and the incident did not appear to be a murder-suicide, according to authorities.
The Sheriff’s Department identified the victims as Sonia Ramirez, 68, George Ramirez, 66, and David Ramirez, 43.
George and Sonia Ramirez were married, officials said.
A woman who spoke with The Times on Tuesday afternoon and asked to remain anonymous said that the victims were her parents and her brother and that the family had been shattered by the killings.
“Our family is devastated by the great loss we are suffering. It is an understatement to say that George and Sonia Ramirez were devoted, compassionate, selfless and kind. As parents, their love was boundless. Our brother, David Ramirez, was our family protector, a doting father and an incredibly supportive son. We are relying on the Sheriff’s Department to investigate and apprehend the person who committed this heinous act. As we grieve, we ask for prayers and respect for our privacy so our family can process and mourn.â€
Yellow crime scene tape blocked off the stuccoed two-story home on Ramona Place, a dead-end street in an unincorporated area just south of Montclair. Multiple vehicles were parked in the yard.
Accounts from witnesses inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio paint a clearer view of what happened when a man walked into the Monterey Park studio armed with a semiautomatic pistol.
Investigators also entered a garage next door to the home, but authorities did not disclose how it was related to their investigation.
April Bravo, 26, lives on the next street over and said she usually walks around at night without any hesitation for her safety.
“This is a quiet street,†Bravo said. “It’s a dead-end street, so when anyone comes down, everyone on the street knows it.â€
Ray Reyes, who has lived on the block for nearly 30 years, said he could not recall the last time police were called to Ramona Place.
“It’s so weird,†Reyes said about the killings. “Nothing like this has ever happened.â€
Chunli Zhao, accused of killing seven people in Half Moon Bay, told investigators an argument over a $100 bill for a damaged forklift prompted the shootings.
He was at home Monday night but said he did not hear any gunshots or loud noises.
Trina Campbell approached the home Tuesday where the bodies were discovered and sobbed in the street. She was assured that her aunt, who lives next door, was safe.
“I thought it was someone I knew,†she said as she walked away from the home, her hands shaking.
Campbell said she knew the neighbors who lived in the home where the bodies were found and described them as grandparents who lived with their grandson.
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