The gunman who killed his three daughters and a companion who watched his visit with his children before pointing a gun at himself and taking his own life in the north. California the church was illegal in the United States this week, immigration officials said Friday.
David Mora, 39, overdue his visa after entering California from his hometown Mexico on December 17, 2018, regarding a non-immigrant visitor visa, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Aleteya Smock.
Smock did not say when his visa expired, but because he expired, ICE asked to be notified when he was released from prison last week after he was arrested in Merced County for assaulting a California traffic police officer.
David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, expired his visa after entering California from his native Mexico in December 2018 and was illegally in the United States when he was shot.
The three sisters killed by their father in a church in Sacramento are named (left to right) Samara, 9; Samantha, 10, and Mora Gutierrez herself, 13
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office said that under so-called California law, it did not notify immigration officials of detainees who had been released, and the ICE was never notified.
The 2017 state law restricts the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies with federal officials, except when immigrants are accused of very serious crimes.
The shooting at a church in Sacramento took place on Monday during a weekly observation of Mora and her 13-, ten- and nine-year-old daughters.
Police did not reveal a motive, but confirmation that he was in the country illegally gives a possible reason: Mora may have been afraid of being deported and separated from his children.
Samantha (center) would celebrate her 11th birthday on Wednesday
A memorial to the three Gutierrez sisters is on display in front of the church in Sacramento on Tuesday. Mora also killed a companion of her daughters before committing suicide
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Scott Jones has revealed few details so far, including when and how Mora got his gun and what kind of firearm he had. The agency has no immediate comment on Friday.
Mora was arrested on February 23rd on charges of resisting arrest, hitting a police officer and driving while intoxicated.
Five days later, he opened fire on a church in Sacramento.
Weekly visits were allowed under a five-year restraining order received from Mora’s ex-girlfriend, who was the girls’ mother.
he said he had repeatedly threatened to kill her, scared their girls and said he would commit suicide.
In response to a court request for the order, Mora said he did not have a weapon. His ex-girlfriend also said she did not know he had a firearm.
Anna DeJesus, right, places a teddy bear on a growing memorial in Sacramento Church
It is unclear whether Mora, also known as David Fidel Mora Rojas, is in significant danger of being deported despite the interest of immigration officials following his arrest.
Although ICE asked to be informed of Mora’s release, immigration officials did not take any further steps to deport him after he was released on bail.
Under Democratic President Joe Biden, immigration officials have made it a priority to deport people who consider themselves a threat to public safety or national security or who have recently crossed the border.
Such a policy is a change from the Trump administration, which has sought everyone in the country illegally for deportation.
Samantha, portrayed as a younger girl, was described as an avid reader by those who knew her.
Samara, the youngest of the slain sisters, was described as kind and loyal.
“If I didn’t have anyone to play with, she would be by my side and if I was sad or hurt, she would help me,” her friend Estella Hernandez said through tears.
Samantha, the middle child, was said to be an impatient reader who always held a book in her hand, and Samia was described by a Facebook friend as “full of light.”
A GoFundMe The campaign, launched by the girls’ aunt, attracted more than $ 65,000 in donations on Friday night.
Sergeant Rod Grassman, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, called Mora’s decision to shoot and kill his children “inexplicable.”
That’s what Oscar Maldonado, a friend of the family, said CBS Sacramento that Mora is a hard-working but aggressive man who struggles with drug abuse and mental health problems.
A huge police presence gathered in front of the church where the shooting took place
A father killed four by shooting three of his children before committing suicide at a church in Sacramento
“He was very emotional, really emotional,” Maldonado said.
Court documents paint a disturbing picture of the verbal and physical violence inflicted by Mora on his estranged friend, who is the mother of their three daughters.
Mora “is a very jealous man,” the woman wrote in her request for a restraining order. “He threatened to kill me if he ever caught me cheating … He has strangled me in the past.”
She said he told her he didn’t kill her, “because she won’t know where to go with the children.” In the documentation, she said he could flee to Mexico, where he has a family.
“I am scared and nervous. I’m afraid (Mora) will hurt me. I do not want to return home, “wrote the woman, whose name was suspended because she was a victim of violence.
The woman also said he was hospitalized for a week in April after “expressing a desire to commit suicide”.
A five-year order was imposed on May 19. She provided for Mora to visit her daughters only under supervision for up to four hours a week with a mutually agreed companion. He was also required to take anger management courses.
The horrific attack began around 5:10 p.m. on Monday, when officers were called to the Sacramento Church in the city’s Arden Mall area, the city said. ABC10.
The shooting took place in the main room of the small church. Emergency services were alerted after a church employee upstairs heard gunshots and called 911.
Teddy bear, balloons and flowers are among the items left on the growing memorial in the church
Residents are watching police work after a shooting at a church in Sacramento, California