The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has reported a chilling discovery in the Mojave Desert near El Mirage, California.
On Tuesday night, January 23, 2024, at around 8:15 p.m., deputies responding to a welfare check off Highway 395 found five bodies in a remote desert area. The crime scene was apparently so grisly that local news stations opted to blur out images taken overhead by helicopters.
Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department, revealed in a news conference that initially, five bodies were located. A subsequent search of the area led to the discovery of a sixth body the next day.
The ongoing investigation is spearheaded by the department’s specialized investigations division. The identities of the deceased and the cause or manner of their deaths remain unconfirmed.
The bodies were discovered near two vehicles – a white minivan and a dark blue SUV, both showing signs of gunfire and one with blown-out windows. Three of the bodies appeared to have been burned.
Officials have not determined whether the victims were shot at the scene or if their bodies were transported there. No arrests have been made, and the Sheriff’s Department is urging anyone with information to assist in the investigation.
Public information officer Gloria Huerta commented on the challenges of conducting investigations in such isolated and expansive desert areas.
The incident has raised concerns about safety in these remote regions.
El Mirage, known for its scenic isolation about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles, rarely witnesses such unsettling events.
