Three murdered on Tule Reservation
Suspect shot by officers
UPDATE: The suspect, Hector Celaya, died from his injuries, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office reported.
Three people are dead and a fourth was wounded in what Tulare County Sheriff’s Department officials are calling a triple homicide on the Tule Reservation Saturday night.
Two young children were also shot, as well as the suspect.
The suspect, who had fled with his two young daughters that prompted an Amber Alert, was later shot by officers and taken into custody. The two girls were rescued, but both had also been shot by the suspect.
According to authorities, the incident began about 7:45 p.m. when the TCSD received a 911 call regarding shots fired in the 100 block of Chimney Road of the Tule Indian Reservation.
Upon arrival, deputies found two crime scenes with multiple victims.
At the first location, a trailer on the property, deputies located an adult male and adult female who were both dead from gunshot wounds. Deputies also located a male juvenile with an apparent gunshot wound who was taken to a local hospital.
At the second scene, a shed on the property, deputies located another male who had been fatally shot.
The person who contacted authorities advised the suspect had fled the scene in a green Jeep Cherokee, unknown year or license plate.
The suspect was identified as Hector Celaya, 31 of the Tule Indian Reservation.
He fled with his two daughters, Alyssa, 8, and Linea, 5. An Amber Alert was issued around 11 p.m.
Detectives were able to use the man’s cellular phone to locate him.
A deputy found the vehicle in the area of Avenue 220 and Road 254. A traffic stop was attempted and the driver failed to stop. A pursuit began that stayed below normal speeds, even driving at speeds less than 15 miles per hour.
The suspect vehicle drove westbound on Avenue 256 from Bur and stopped on the side of the road just east of Road 216 at approximately 1:48 a.m. The suspect fired his weapon and detectives fired at the suspect, striking him at least once.
The suspect was taken into custody and is being treated for life threatening injuries.
One child received non-life threatening injuries and the second child was located in the vehicle with life threatening injuries. Both are being treated for their wounds.
During the preliminary investigation, detectives learned the suspect had shot the children.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Office at 800-808-0488.
