A 6-month-old baby, her 17-year-old mother, and four others were killed on Monday in Goshen, California, in what law enforcement officials believe was an attack by a drug cartel.
"The level of violence ... this was not your run-of-the-mill low-end gang member," Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told the Los Angeles Times. The baby was found cradled in the arms of her mother, law enforcement officials said, and both had been shot in the head. An elderly woman and three men were also killed.
Authorities said the massacre could be linked to a narcotics-related search warrant carried out at the residence last week. A man was arrested, and it is not clear if he was one of the victims found on Monday, Boudreaux said. Because of their injuries, at least two of the victims will have to be identified by DNA testing, he added.
Two women who survived the attack told police that they spotted on surveillance cameras intruders coming onto the property. Authorities said they are searching for two suspects, but have not released any additional information. In a statement, Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero called the deaths "everyone's worst nightmare. These senseless acts of violence, especially with infants, children, and young adults, have no place in our communities."