FRESNO, Calif. — Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux gave a brief update Monday on the investigation into the cartel-style massacre of six people in Goshen, including a 16-year-old mother and her 10-month-old baby.
He took no questions following the news conference of less than seven minutes, but noted the reward money in the Jan. 16 mass shooting had risen before he asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift the moratorium on capital punishment in the state for special circumstances.
“I would like him to lift the ban on the death penalty in cases where small children are murdered,” he said. “This should be a death penalty case.”
Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment in the state in 2019.
All six members of the family in Goshen, a community west of Visalia, were killed by gunfire and investigators have said there were two shooters involved.
The victims were Eladio Parraz Jr., 52; Marcos Parraz, 19; Jennifer Analla, 49; Rosa Parraz, 72; Elyssa Parraz, 16; and 10-month-old Nycholas Parraz.
Boudreaux repeated Monday what he has said previously: That the killings were a “cartel-style execution,” but that authorities do not believe a cartel was directly involved.
He noted that gangs and cartels have a relationship. “The investigators strongly believe (the shooters) are gang members from the Central Valley,” he said.
Child Welfare Services had some contact with the young mother and her child, and the mother was allowed to take her baby home full time on Jan. 13, which was three days before the slayings, he said.
The infant was taken from the young mother three days after giving birth because authorities did not believe she was capable of caring for the baby, he said, though she was allowed supervised visits.
Before ending the news conference and not taking questions, Boudreaux said investigators are close to an arrest.
“We are very close,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything that would jeopardize not bringing these baby killers to justice.”
He said another update is likely later this week.
The reward for information that leads to a conviction has risen to $20,100.
The massacre in Goshen
Investigators arrived at a home before 4 a.m. Jan. 16 where six people were shot to death in Goshen, deputies said.
A 911 caller reported hearing many rounds of gunfire coming from a home on Harvest Avenue near Road 68, Boudreaux has said. Some of the victims were found in the street in front of the home, while others were found in the home, he said.
The teen mother was found in a nearby ditch, cradling her baby. Boudreaux has said investigators believe the teen fled and was hiding before a gunman stood over her and fired.
The eldest Parraz was shot in her bed and may have been sleeping when killed. All three were shot in the head, he said.
First responders attempted life-saving efforts on some of the victims, but were unsuccessful. One victim was taken to a local hospital, where he died, he said.
Deputies had been to the home about a week earlier to serve search warrants and confiscated methamphetamine, weed and automatic weapons, according to Boudreaux.
Three other people survived the massacre by hiding, deputies said.
