On January 23, 2024, at approximately 8:16 p.m., 22-year-old Franklin Noel Bonilla placed a distressing 911 call, reporting that he had been shot but was unable to provide his exact location. Dispatchers traced the call to the vicinity of Lessing Avenue and Shadow Mountain Road in the unincorporated area of Adelanto, California. Upon arrival, San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies discovered a gruesome scene: five deceased individuals, all Hispanic males, with four partially burned.
A short time later, Franklin Bonilla was found nearby, also deceased.
The victims were identified as:
- **Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran**, 34, of Adelanto
- **Franklin Noel Bonilla**, 22, of Hesperia
- **Kevin Dariel Bonilla**, 25, of Hesperia
- **Jose Ruelas-Calderon**, 45, of El Mirage
- **Narciso Sandoval**, 47
- **Adrian Ochoa-Salgado**, 41
Investigations revealed that the six victims had arranged to meet at the remote desert location for a marijuana transaction. During this meeting, for reasons still under investigation, they were fatally shot. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department launched an extensive investigation, executing multiple search warrants in the areas of Apple Valley, Adelanto, and Pinon Hills. This led to the arrest of five suspects on January 28, 2024:
- **Toniel Baez-Duarte**, 34, of Apple Valley
- **Mateo Baez-Duarte**, 24, of Apple Valley
- **Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia**, 33, of Adelanto
- **Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia**, 34, of Adelanto
- **Jose Manuel Burgos Parra**, 26, of Adelanto
All five suspects were booked on charges of murder and are being held without bail. Authorities have indicated that the motive behind the killings appears to be a dispute over illegal marijuana operations, a prevalent issue in the region. San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus emphasized that illicit marijuana activities are a driving force behind such violent crimes in the area.
The investigation is ongoing, with officials continuing to gather evidence to understand the full circumstances surrounding this tragic event. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has urged anyone with additional information to come forward to assist in bringing closure to the case.
