Shattered glass, tire marks and traces of dried blood were all that remained at a remote dirt crossroads in the Mojave Desert on Thursday where the bodies of six people were found earlier in the week.
Authorities have released very little information about the brutal slayings thus far, and the victims’ identities were not released Thursday – if they were known.
“It’s imperative to find out who these people are because there could be additional people in danger,” Bobby Chacon, a retired FBI Special Agent, told KTLA 5 News.
Five bodies were discovered Tuesday evening when sheriff’s deputies responded to a welfare check off Highway 395 about 20 miles northwest of Victorville in San Bernardino County – an area with little more than dirt and desert brush dotting the desolate landscape.
The sixth victim was found Wednesday morning, authorities said.
News helicopter footage showed the bodies were located around two vehicles. A dark-colored SUV with an Oregon license plate had shattered windows and was riddled with bullet holes. Just yards away, a white minivan was undamaged.
Based on a large number of yellow evidence markers at the scene on Wednesday it appears some, if not all, the victims had been shot, and some were also burned.
“Certainly, by looking at the number of people involved … and how gruesome that they were not only killed but then set on fire, this has some of the earmarks of a gangland-style slaying,” said Chacon. “It could be gang-related. It could be cartel-related.”
The Sheriff’s Department told KTLA that investigators likely won’t provide the public with an update on the case until next week. They did not indicate if any suspects were at large or if there was an ongoing concern for public safety.