(WHDH) — A 23-year-old man was arrested on murder charges after detectives say he fatally shot his grandmother and his father’s girlfriend as family members exchanged gifts on Christmas day.
Austin Alvarez, of Reedley, California, is facing charges including two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responding to a shots fired call at a home on Goodfellow Avenue in Reedley around 1:45 p.m. on Christmas found two women suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.
Alvarez’s grandmother, 58-year-old Magdalena Alvarez, and his father’s girlfriend, 39-year-old Meisa Rashid, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Alvarez allegedly shot the victims as they opened Christmas gifts with other family members before fleeing the home and opening fire on his father, who was in a parked vehicle outside. He was not struck by the gunfire.
Alvarez was said to be captured about 10 miles from the home.
A clear motive for the shooting has not yet been established, the sheriff’s office said.
An investigation remains ongoing.
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