TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — The reward for information has doubled as authorities scramble to make an arrest following the deaths of six people at one California home.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux reaffirmed Monday that the deaths of the six individuals — including a 10-month-old baby — in Goshen, California, earlier this month were a “cartel-style execution.”
According to the sheriff, autopsies have confirmed that all six victims died from gunshot wounds, including 16-year-old Elyssa Parraz and her son, 10-month-old Nycholas Parraz, who were both shot in the head.
Expanding on the impact of the cartel, Sheriff Boudreaux shared some information about their actions in California, specifically identifying two Mexican cartels — the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartel — that he described as “heavily involved” in the state. The sheriff said they take advantage of the highways and private and general airports throughout the Central Valley, with gangs in the area working closely together with the cartel.
According to Sheriff Boudreaux, investigators in the case strongly believe that the suspected shooters are gang-affiliated and from California’s Central Valley.
Boudreaux also touched on the custody situation between 10-month-old victim Nycholas and his mother Elyssa. He says that Nycholas was taken from his mother three days after his birth and placed into foster care after an investigation by the Visalia Police Department determined that Elyssa was not able to provide sufficient care.
Sheriff Boudreaux added that Elyssa was allowed supervised visits once a month until mid-January when she was able to receive full custody of the baby under the supervision of Child Welfare Services. They were killed three days later.
He declined to release any additional information, saying he didn’t want to jeopardize the case but that “arrests will be made in this investigation.”
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office anticipates another press conference later this week. The reward for any information leading to the arrest of the shooters is currently at $20,100.
Sheriff Boudreaux also made a direct request to Governor Gavin Newsom, asking him to lift the ban on the death penalty in cases when small children are killed. In response, the Governor’s Office directed Nexstar’s KSEE to a press release from 2019 announcing the moratorium on the death penalty in California.
