A 19-year-old man has been charged in the shooting deaths of four people as they slept at a Lancaster home that was later set on fire, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Miguel Diego Sandoval was charged with four counts of murder in the Nov. 16 attack on Christine Aca-ac, 25; her brother, Janvi Maquindang, 21; Edwin Garcia, 24, and Matthew Montebello, 23.
The charges include the special circumstance allegations of murder while lying in wait and multiple murders, along with allegations that he used a gun.
Sandoval is also facing one felony count each of first-degree residential burglary with a person present and arson of an inhabited structure.
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The shooting was reported Saturday in the northern Los Angeles County community. Firefighters responded to the home at about 1:30 a.m. and knocked down the fire.
Aca-ac, Garcia and Maquindang died at the scene. Deputies pulled Montebello from the burning house in the 44500 block of North Tabler Avenue, near East Avenue J and Challenger Way, but he died late the following day, authorities said.
Sandoval allegedly set the home on fire in an effort to cover up a burglary and the shootings. He is accused of burglarizing the home while the residents were sleeping and shooting them before setting the fire.
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He was later arrested Nov. 21. He is due in a Lancaster courtroom Jan. 27 for arraignment.
