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On the face of it, it sounds like a blues song: Six bodies found at a remote Mojave desert crossroads in California. According to The New York Times, however, in late Jan. 2024, that scenario became all too real.
Responding to a wellness check, authorities found the six bodies near the small town of El Mirage off Highway 395, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, The Times reported. One of the men, later found dead, called 911 and reported he had been shot, speaking Spanish. The area was so remote that the California Highway Patrol’s Aviation Division helped the authorities reach the area.
At first, only five bodies were spotted. On the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 24, a sixth body was recovered nearby. The deaths were immediately investigated as homicides, according to NBC News. About a week after the bodies were found, five men were arrested and charged with the crime, AP News reported.
Victim details
According to the AP, three of the six men found were identified as Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran, 34; Franklin Noel Bonilla, 22; and Kevin Dariel Bonilla, 25. Another 45-year-old victim had been identified, but his name was not revealed to the press pending family notification. As of the AP’s report, the remaining two men found were still not identified. All of them were likely shot and killed.
People reported that two vehicles were also at the location, one of which was covered in bullet holes. Some of the bodies had reportedly also been burned together. Referring to whether bodies had ever been found in that area before, Mara Rodriguez, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, said, “I know that we’ve had cases before just because we have a large desert area. To this magnitude, I can’t remember” (via The Times).
The illegal marijuana drug trade was involved
The men arrested in connection with the six deaths were all between the ages of 24 and 34 and were apprehended in the Pinyon Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles County. According to ABC7.com, the suspect’s names are Toniel Baez-Duarte, Mateo Baez-Duarte, Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia, and Jose Manuel Burgos Parra. Several firearms were also confiscated and tested to see if the weapons were used at the crime scene.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Warrick said, “We are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana,” according to NPR. Authorities said the level of violence was consistent with a drug cartel, but when that comment was made, cartel involvement was not confirmed. Authorities said the men seemed to have arranged to meet at the location where the bodies were found. Marijuana is legal in California, but the illegal untaxed trade continues to be big business.
At the press conference, Warrick added, “We are still conducting a follow-up investigation, but we are confident we have arrested all the suspects in this case … They are currently in custody with no bail” (via USA Today).