(Newsworthy.news) – Five persons have been arrested as part of the investigation into six killings discovered last week in a remote region of the Southern California desert, which investigators believe to have been a struggle over marijuana.
According to Sgt. Michael Warrick from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, the remains were found in the Mojave Desert after a 911 call reported a shooting. There were five corpses discovered on January 23 and one more the following day.
During a press conference on Sunday, Warrick announced the arrest of five individuals after the execution of search warrants by deputies.
Four individuals were named by authorities as victims:
Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran (34 )from Adelanto.
Franklin Noel Bonilla (22) and Kevin Dariel Bonilla (25) from Hesperia,
and a man (45) whose identity was withheld, awaiting notification to his family. The coroner’s office has not yet identified the last two males.
Warrick said that the individual who contacted 911 is believed to have been Franklin Bonilla.
He said with certainty that they believe this to be a fight over marijuana.
Due to the remoteness of the location, which is about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the sheriff’s department requested assistance from the Aviation Division of the California Highway Patrol to locate the site.
Voters in California legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2016, and since then, the state has grown into the biggest legal cannabis marketplace in the world, with yearly sales in the billions. However, the black market is also expanding.
Some say legislators should retain legalization but return to stricter punishments for consumers of illicit weed, characterizing the black market as a scourge that leads to bloodshed.
A dark blue SUV was seen in last week’s TV news chopper video with a blown-out passenger window and another door open. Reports from the area said that the footage also revealed fire damage and gunshot holes. There were many yellow evidence markings on the desert floor.
At a press conference last week, Mara Rodriguez, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, stated that the circumstances were heartbreaking. Rodriguez assured the public that the department’s investigators will not rest until they have gathered all the information necessary to bring those responsible to justice.
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