Elderly woman, son found slain at their Pico Rivera home

PICO RIVERA -- A woman and her son were found dead inside the garage of their Pico Rivera home late Saturday, authorities said, while another family member was being investigated in connection with the double-slaying.

Martha Sotello Garcia, 78, and Jorge Gustavo Garcia, 52, were pronounced dead after their bodies were discovered about 11 p.m. at their home in the 8900 block of Gallatin Road, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. Cheryl MacWillie.

Forty-seven-year-old Juan Garcia, son to Martha Garcia and brother to Jorge Garcia, was booked on suspicion of attacking another brother with a blunt object earlier Saturday evening, Sgt. Don Walls of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.

"He's being investigated for the homicides," the sergeant said, though officials stopped short of calling Juan Garcia a suspect in the killings.

Martha Garcia appeared to have died from stab wounds, while Jorge Garcia was believed to have been beaten to death, officials said. Coroner's investigators will perform autopsies to determine the official causes of death.

Officials at the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station received a 9-1-1 call about 8 p.m. from Juan Garcia's brother, Salvador Villalobos, 31, saying that Juan Garcia had beaten him with a blunt object at their home on Gallatin Road, Sgt. Sandra Nava said.

Deputies arrested Juan Garcia on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and took Villalobos to the hospital with moderate head injuries, Walls said. The blunt object believed to have been used in the assault was recovered, though detectives declined to specify Sunday what it was.

"Later in the evening, around 11 o'clock, family members became concerned because they were unable to locate (Martha and Jorge Garcia)," Nava said.

Family members then went to the home and found the bodies inside the detached garage, she said.

No motive in the killings was known, Walls said.

According to sheriff's booking records, Juan Garcia was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Whittier Superior Court.

If ultimately booked on suspicion of murder, bail is generally increased to at least $1 million.