EL MIRAGE, Calif. – Law enforcement authorities made a grisly discovery at a remote dirt crossroads in the Mojave Desert of California Tuesday evening. Six bodies were discovered near two vehicles, one that was riddled with bullet holes.
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded about 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday to a welfare check in the high desert area off Highway 395 roughly 25 miles northwest of Victorville. Upon arrival they discovered the bodies, which were likely shot to death, near the automobiles, KTLA reported.
Initially, authorities said there were five victims at the crime scene. However, a sixth body was discovered a few hundred feet away, according to sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez.
“We have not confirmed the sex or the age of any of the decedents at this point,” Rodriguez told reporters Wednesday morning.
Although the circumstances surrounding the deaths were unconfirmed, Victor Valley News Group reported the unidentified victims had been fatally shot.
Five of the six bodies were discovered within close proximity to the vehicles with dozens of evidence markers and bullet casings surrounding them. Some of the bodies also appeared to have been burned, according to KTLA.
A dark-colored SUV with an Oregon license plate was riddled with bullet holes. The vehicle also appeared to have some windows shot out. The other vehicle, a light-colored minivan, appeared to be relatively undamaged.
It’s unclear how long the bodies had been there and officials did not disclose if any suspects were being sought in connection with the deaths.
“It’s going to be heartbreaking no matter what the situation is or what they discover out there as far as the circumstances surrounding it,” said Rodriguez.
No information about the victims has been released as investigators remained at the scene well into Wednesday evening.
“It is incredibly desolate. I cannot bring home that point enough,” KTLA reporter Annie Rose Ramos said of the location.
Law enforcement experts said the brutal homicides have the signs of a gang-style slaying or cartel-related massacre.
Bobby Chacon is a retired FBI Special Agent. He noted that time is of the essence when it comes to identifying the victims.
“It’s imperative to find out who these people are because there could be additional people in danger,” Chacon said.
The area is used primarily by off-road enthusiasts, according to a retired law enforcement officer who has ridden dirt bikes in the region for decades and spoke to Law Officer about the homicides.
“I’ve ridden and camped in the area dozens of times. You will mostly see other off-road enthusiasts and campers,” he said. “However, you’ll occasionally come across societal outcasts who are seeking remote privacy for a variety of reasons, most of which are nefarious.”
