A man was arrested in San Jose in connection with the deaths of three girls, including his daughter, and two women found in a Modesto home over the weekend, Modesto police said.
Martin Martinez, 30, is a person of interest in homicides in the 2600 block of Nob Hill Court in Modesto on Saturday, police said.
Modesto police said the five victims are all related and the deceased children are between 6 months old and 6 years old.
Detectives identified Martinez, a Modesto resident, as a person of interest in the case and notified the public to be on the lookout for him, according to police.
Martinez had a relationship with one of the victims and fathered one of the three girls, police said.
Police also released a picture and license plate number of a red Lincoln Navigator he was known to drive, police said.
Modesto police notified San Jose police that Martinez might be heading to a relative’s home in the vehicle, San Jose police Officer Albert Morales said.
Around 10 p.m. Saturday, San Jose police found the red SUV empty in the 2400 block of Lucerne Way just north of the Reid-Hillview Airport, according to Morales.
San Jose police investigators learned Martinez had left Lucerne Way with a family member before officers reached the scene, Morales said.
Officers were able to determine Martinez was traveling in another vehicle, which was found unoccupied in the parking lot of the Westfield Oakridge shopping mall at 925 Blossom Hill Road around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Morales said.
Martinez was spotted walking back to the vehicle and was arrested without incident roughly 15 minutes later, according to Morales.
Martinez was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail, sheriff’s Sgt. James Jensen said.
Modesto police have not said the possible motive or cause of death in the homicides.
Modesto police will be releasing more information on the homicide case during a news conference Monday afternoon at Modesto police headquarters.
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