Father arrested after 4 children, mother-in-law shot to death - Los Angeles Times

A single-story home on a quiet street in Lancaster became a scene of tragedy Sunday night when a father shot and killed his four children and their grandmother, authorities said.

Germarcus David, 29, was arrested on suspicion of murder Monday morning in connection with the grisly scene, according to Deputy Trina Schrader with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He is being held in lieu of $2-million bail.

Police responded to calls of an emergency at the home in the 3500 block of Garnet Lane around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said. When they arrived, they found the children — all under the age of 12 — and a woman in her 50s, all with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.

All five were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Their names have not been released. Property records show the home belongs to the suspect, Germarcus David, and Tyanna Brown.

David is a licensed security guard whose firearm permit was canceled, according to a state database. Officials at the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services could not immediately provide details about the cancellation.

Waki Jones said he has been working with the family for the last several years, regularly dropping the older children off at elementary school and daycare. He first learned they had been killed when he came to pick them up Monday morning.

“Someone told me or I asked which house where the shooting was, and then I don’t remember anything after that,” said Jones when reached by phone. “They were just good kids.”

He identified the oldest children as Amaya, 12, and Demarcus, 9. He wasn’t sure about the ages of the younger two.

“Amaya was a sweet girl, and every morning, the mom would tell her, ‘Say good morning to coach,’” Jones said, which was what the kids called him.

“She was always protecting her brother, making sure he was safe at school,” Jones said. “It’s just unbelievable. I can’t believe they’re gone.”

He said that he did not know David personally but that the two would sometimes talk about taking care of children. David recently promised to take the kids fishing, but Jones said the children told him the plans fell through.

Jones said he has been a daycare provider for several years and always treats children as if they were his own.

“To do this to the kids, it’s cowardly. It’s just unbelievable,” he said.

On Monday, yellow caution tape blocked off Garnet Lane, where some sparse Christmas decorations dotted nearby lawns.

Angelo Beltran, who lives a few doors down from the house where the shooting took place, said she heard screaming late Sunday.

“We saw a woman screaming outside, and we don’t know who she is, but she was yelling,” Beltran said.

Grace Beltran, who lives in the same home, said she heard a woman yell, “My babies are gone.”

Marco Estrada, 49, is staying with his niece five houses away and said he would sometimes walk his dog around the neighborhood and see a man sitting on the front porch of the house.

“He seemed nice, quiet. You wouldn’t think much of him,” Estrada said.

Times staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-29/woman-4-children-found-shot-to-death-in-lancaster-home

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