A 17-year-old male has been taken into custody in relation to the homicide of four individuals in a small community southwest of Fresno. The adolescent, whose identity has been withheld due to his age, made his initial court appearance on Thursday, pleading not guilty in the juvenile court. The prosecution is pushing for the case to be transferred to adult court, which could lead to a life sentence without the possibility of parole if he is found guilty.
The victims, who were neighbors of the accused, have been named as Billy Bond, 81, his son Darrell Bond, 61, Darrell’s wife Guadalupe “Kiki” Bond, 44, and their son Matthew Bond, 43. The bodies of Billy, Darrell, and Guadalupe were found in their home’s backyard on Saturday. Matthew’s body was discovered in a separate garage at the accused’s property on Tuesday, which led to the teenager’s arrest.
The police have yet to disclose details regarding the motive or the manner of the murders. However, they have indicated that a safe in the victims’ residence, which contained firearms and cash, had been forcibly opened and cleared out. Family members of the accused, including his mother, have been charged with being accessories after the fact and have since been released on bail.
The accused, whose identity cannot be publicly disclosed due to his age, will remain in custody. If convicted of the four murder charges, he will be detained in a juvenile facility until he reaches the age of 25. The prosecution is striving to have him tried as an adult, which could result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.