Baby Matteo, Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez (left) and Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos (right).Credit : 

A fatal California stabbing claimed the lives of three generations of the same family.

Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos and a 2-week-old infant were stabbed to death in a Modesto home on Thursday, May 28, according to the Modesto Police Department (MPD).

Nunez-Villalobos, 54, was the mother of Gonzalez-Nunez, 23, who was the mom of the infant, identified in a GoFundMe as Mateo Gonzalez, a baby boy.

Baby Matteo.gofundme

Officers responded to the residence just after 9:20 a.m. local time, when they found the young mom with “multiple stab wounds.” They later located Nunez-Villalobos and the infant child, who were also “both suffering from apparent stab wounds,” authorities said.

Both the young mother and grandmother were pronounced dead at the scene. The baby was transported to a hospital where he died later that day, per police.

Inside the home, police found an “uninjured” 3-year-old child, who was subsequently hospitalized for medical evaluation and placed in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS). The toddler is believed to be the child of Gonzalez-Nunez and the suspect in the triple homicide, Joaquin Escoto.

Police arrested Escoto, 28, the day of the stabbing with the help of SWAT officials and hostage negotiation specialists. Authorities “established a perimeter” shortly after responding to the stabbing, believing that Escoto had remained in the area, and shut down nearby schools as a precautionary measure.

The man “was later located hiding inside a nearby residence and taken into custody without incident,” according to Modesto police.

Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez (left) and Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos (right).gofundme

Escoto was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on three counts of murder, special circumstance enhancements and use of a deadly weapon, as well as an outstanding warrant from the MPD related to a prior DUI case.

Investigators believe that Escoto and the three victims lived together in the home where the stabbing occurred. He is also believed to have been “involved in a relationship with Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, although the exact nature of their relationship remains under investigation,” police said.

It is unclear whether Escoto has retained legal counsel to comment on his behalf. The investigation into the triple homicide is ongoing.

“The loss of three lives, including that of an infant child, is a heartbreaking tragedy,” the MPD said in a statement. “While a suspect is now in custody, detectives continue their investigation as the victims’ families and loved ones face an unimaginable loss.”

The family of the three victims has since set up a GoFundMe fundraiser. It describes Nunez-Villalobos as a “cherished” and “loving grandmother whose kindness and strength touched everyone around her.”

Gonzalez-Nunez’s family remembered her on the fundraising page as “a devoted mother, daughter, and loved one who brought joy and love to those fortunate enough to know her,” and whose “love for her children was endless.”

Her weeks-old baby, meanwhile, was “an innocent child whose life was taken far too soon,” the GoFundMe states, adding: “Mateo was a precious baby whose smile and innocence brought happiness to everyone around him. They will forever remain in our hearts and will never be forgotten.”