An investigation is underway after six bodies were found in a remote area of a San Bernardino County desert. Anastassia Olmos reports for the NBC4 News on Jan. 24, 2024.
Investigators confirmed six people, who were found dead Tuesday evening near a minivan and SUV on a dirt road in the high desert of San Bernardino County, were homicide victims.
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said Thursday no arrest was made, but the investigation was ongoing with efforts being made to confirm the victims' identifications as well as next-of-kin notifications.
At around 8 p.m., deputies responded to an area near Highway 395 in El Mirage, about 35 miles east of Lancaster, for a wellness check where six people were found dead. The bodies were on or near a dirt road that remained closed off by yellow crime scene tape hours later.
Authorities initially said five bodies were at the scene. A sixth body was located later Wednesday morning.
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Details about their identities, including sex and age, were not immediately available. The bodies remained at the scene Wednesday morning hours after their discovery.
Two vehicles were found at the scene -- a silver minivan and dark blue SUV. Several evidence markers were placed near the bodies and vehicles, which appeared to have shattered windows.
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Details about a cause of death were not immediately available. Authorities would not confirm whether the individual's were shot, but at least one of the vehicles showed signs of bullet holes.
During a mid-morning news conference, authorities said the El Mirage scene is the only location involved in the investigation.
“It's going to be heartbreaking no matter what they discover out there as far as the circumstances, so our investigators will do their best to wrap this up quickly and get all the info possible to bring justice to those folks out there," said Mara Rodriguez, public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
