A California man allegedly stabbed to death three generations of one family — a young mother, a grandmother, and a two-week-old infant — and reports indicate he had been deported from the United States three times before the attack.
Story Highlights
- Joaquin Escoto, 28, was arrested in Modesto, California after two women and an infant were fatally stabbed inside a home on Monterey Avenue.
- The victims were identified as three generations of the Nunez family — a 23-year-old mother, a 54-year-old grandmother, and a two-week-old baby.
- Police found Escoto hiding in a nearby residence and took him into custody without incident; investigators believe he shared a child with one of the victims.
- Reports indicate Escoto had been previously deported from the United States three times before the alleged attack.
Three Generations of a Family Wiped Out
Modesto police responded to a residence on Monterey Avenue on Thursday and discovered three victims suffering from fatal stab wounds. [3] The victims were a 23-year-old woman, a 54-year-old woman, and an infant child. [3] Family members identified the victims as three generations of the Nunez family — a young mother, her mother, and a newborn baby just two weeks old. [9] Detectives characterized the stabbing as an isolated incident and said there was no ongoing threat to the public. [2]
The crime scene extended across several homes in the neighborhood, requiring extensive evidence collection before the area could be reopened. [3] Orville Wright Elementary School, located nearby, was placed on lockdown and students were relocated as a precaution while officers processed the scene. [7] The scale of the response and the heartbreaking nature of the victims — including a newborn — sent shockwaves through the Modesto community and drew national attention.
Suspect Found Hiding Nearby, Arrested Without Incident
Modesto police identified 28-year-old Joaquin Escoto as the suspect and located him hiding in a nearby residence. [2] Officers took him into custody without incident. [7] Investigators said they believe Escoto shared a child with one of the victims, establishing a direct domestic connection to the household. [2] Escoto was booked into Stanislaus County Jail on three counts of murder, and the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force was involved in the arrest. [5]
The Modesto Bee reported that Escoto may have lived with the victims prior to the attack, deepening the domestic nature of the alleged crime. [6] While formal charging documents and forensic findings have not been publicly released, police stated their case was strong enough to move forward with the triple-murder arrest. The investigation remains active as detectives continue to build the evidentiary record for prosecution in Stanislaus County Superior Court.
Deported Three Times — Then This
Reports indicate that Escoto had been deported from the United States three times before allegedly carrying out this attack. For millions of Americans who have watched the federal government repeatedly fail to enforce immigration law, this case represents exactly the kind of preventable tragedy they have been warning about for years. When the system catches someone, removes them, and then allows them back into the country — not once, not twice, but three times — the consequences can be catastrophic and irreversible.
OMG this breaks my heart! This all happened in the county I just moved from! So devastating 💔
GIVE IF YOU CAN!!!On May 29, 2026, in Modesto, California, Joaquin Escoto, 28, a Mexican national and illegal immigrant, was arrested and charged with three counts of murder.
Illegal…
— Make CA Great Again (@TrappedInNorCal) May 31, 2026
The Trump administration has made securing the border and enforcing deportation orders a cornerstone of its second-term agenda, arguing that consistent enforcement protects American communities. Cases like the Modesto triple murder put a devastating human face on what happens when those enforcement mechanisms break down. A young mother, a loving grandmother, and a two-week-old baby are dead — and a family that should be celebrating new life is instead burying three generations. The question Americans are demanding an answer to is simple: how many times does someone have to be deported before the system actually keeps them out?
Sources:
[2] Web – Modesto trial of man accused of ordering triple murder begins
[3] YouTube – Man arrested in Modesto deadly triple stabbing
[5] YouTube – Man arrested for stabbing 3 to death in Modesto
[6] Web – Stockton Triple-Murder Suspect Arrested in Modesto
[7] Web – Update: Modesto homicide victims ID’d. Suspect may have lived with …
[9] Web – Modesto Police Arrest Suspect After 2 Women, Infant Killed in …