A previously deported illegal alien who allegedly killed three generations of a California family may have fathered a child with one of the victims, according to authorities.
Joaquin Escoto allegedly murdered Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos, her daughter Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez and Fabiola’s infant son May 28 at a Modesto residence, according to a Modesto Police Department (MPD) press release. Officers responded to the residence just after 9:20 a.m. following an alleged disturbance, the MPD said in its initial statement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Escoto was an illegal alien from Mexico in a press release obtained by the Daily Caller.
Officers allegedly discovered all three individuals with apparent stab wounds when they arrived at the residence. Gonzalez-Nunez and Nunez-Villalobos were both pronounced dead at the scene, while the infant was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, police said. Another child was located at the residence unharmed and was also transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
Gonzalez-Nunez and Escoto were the parents of the uninjured child, according to the MPD. The uninjured child, who is three years old, has been placed in the care of Child Protective Services, police said.
Police suspect Escoto lived with the victims and was in a relationship with Gonzalez-Nunez, though investigators are continuing to look into the precise nature of the relationship, according to the MPD. Officials charged Escoto with three counts of murder, special circumstance enhancements, use of a deadly weapon, and an active MPD warrant connected to a previous DUI case. (RELATED: Relentless Rioters At ICE Facility Accomplish Little Besides Getting Arrested)
Escoto has been previously arrested for DUI four times, including in June 2025, according to the DHS press release. When Escoto was arrested in June 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer and asked that he be turned over to ICE custody when released. ICE was not informed when Escoto was released from prison, DHS alleged.
Escoto first entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and was deported before later reentering the U.S. at an unknown date and location, according to the department. An MPD spokesperson told the Caller detectives learned Escoto may have been previously deported while investigating the case. ICE issued another detainer against the alleged perpetrator following the recent arrest, DHS said.
Escoto remains in jail without bail in connection to the alleged triple homicide, according to KTLA. He is set to appear before a judge Monday.
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to benefit the family of the victims has generated nearly $37,000 as of publication.
The MPD directed the Daily Caller to ICE, who did not immediately comment.