Police have arrested three Reedley, California, suspects after discovering the bodies of four family members who were violently murdered during an apparent burglary, Reedley Chief of Police Joe Garza announced Jan. 10.
The 17-year-old boy suspected of killing the family Saturday lived next door to their home on South Church Avenue in the small town of over 25,000 located in Fresno County–about 215 miles southeast of San Francisco.
The juvenile was arrested Tuesday, along with his mother Brynn Curtis, 34, and her boyfriend Rafael Gonzalez, 21.
Ms. Curtis and Mr. Gonzalez, who are charged with being accessories to the crime, posted bond Wednesday but the juvenile remains in custody at the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Center, facing four counts of homicide, according to the Reedley Police Department.
Investigators are continuing to pursue leads in the case, searching for other possible suspects involved in the gruesome crime, according to the police chief.
Mr. Garza said he believes the 17-year-old suspect “did not do this on his own.”
Investigators have not yet identified what caused the deaths and are awaiting autopsy reports, Mr. Garza said Wednesday.
Three deceased family members were found in the backyard of the family’s house on the 1100 block of South Church Avenue. A fourth body was found in the garage next door, according to investigators.
The victims have been identified by police as Matthew Bonds, 43, his wife Guadalupe Bonds, 44, his father Darrell Bonds, 61, and his grandfather Billy Bonds, 81.
“Obviously, our hearts go out to the members of the Bond family and to Guadalupe’s family because of the horrific death that they are experiencing,” Mr. Garza said. “I understand that and I know they will be feeling this for a while.”
Police were called to the Bond family home at 9 a.m. Saturday in response to reports of a residential burglary. Once officers arrived, they found signs of a burglary but did not locate anyone inside the home, Mr. Garza said.
As officers made their way into the house, they also found signs that a violent crime had occurred, according to the police chief.
At that point, the officers backed out of the house to seek search warrants from the court, Mr. Garza reported. After obtaining the documents, officers and investigators reentered the residence and found a gun safe inside the garage that was “violently pried open,” according to Mr. Garza.
The safe had contained firearms, personal belongings, and some currency before the burglary, according to investigators. Police are uncertain how much money was inside the safe before it was emptied.
Officers then began searching the rest of the property and found the bodies of Guadalupe Bonds and Billy Bonds in the backyard, he said.
As the investigation continued, they found freshly disturbed dirt near the victims.
“Going on some hunches and after some thought, we began slowly excavating that area by hand,” Mr. Garza said. “We did locate what appeared to be a body part of a person.”
Officers also used hand tools to unearth the body who was later identified as Darrell Bonds.
As the investigation continued, the department gathered leads and obtained search warrants for homes in Selma, a town about 17 miles south of Fresno, and Parlier, about 20 miles south of Fresno, where they recovered two vehicles they believe were connected to the crime, according to the police chief.
The third warrant was for a house next door to the Bonds’ residence occupied by Brynn Curtis, Rafael Gonzalez, and Ms. Curtis’s 17-year-old son. As police searched their home, the juvenile attempted to flee and was taken into custody, along with his mother and her boyfriend.
While investigating the home, officers found forensic evidence and property that they say belonged to Billy Bonds.
Investigators also found the body of Matthew Bonds in a detached garage on the property, Mr. Garza said.
The police department encouraged the public to provide any information they had in the ongoing case.
