SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A church shooter who murdered his three daughters as well as another man before killing himself in Sacramento last week was in the U.S. illegally.
David Fidel Mora-Rojas had not been handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a prior arrest due to California’s “sanctuary state” law that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, authorities said Friday, reported the New York Post.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said that Mora-Rojas was arrested Feb. 23 for DUI and battery on an officer and medical staff.
As a result, ICE issued a detainer to have him transferred to federal custody in order to initiate deportation proceedings.
However, California has a “sanctuary state” law, which impeded authorities from holding him or communicating with ICE about his release. Following his arrest, he was freed on a $15,000 bond, the Post noted.
According to law enforcement authorities, Mora-Rojas was unlawfully in possession of the firearm he used to shoot his daughters, 9, 10 and 13, and an adult who was supervising the visit at the Church of Sacramento, before turning the gun on himself last week, Law Officer reported.
Mora had been out of custody on the DUI/battery charges for five days when he engaged in the quadruple homicide-suicide. He was barred from possessing a firearm due to a restraining order against him.
ICE told The Associated Press that Mora-Rojas was a Mexican national who had overstayed his visa after legally entering the U.S. in 2018. Therefore, he remained in the country illegally.
