A 28-year-old man is in custody in connection with a violent and tragic triple homicide that killed three generations of a family in Modesto late last week.

Officers with the Modesto Police Department were called to a home in the 1600 block of Monterey Avenue just after 9 a.m. on May 28 and discovered the grisly scene.

Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, 23, had been stabbed to death, along with her mother, Maria Silvia Nunez-Villalobos, 54. The young woman’s 2-week-old baby boy, who was also suffering from stab wounds, was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.
A 28-year-old man is accused of killing the mother of his two children, their grandmother and their 2-week-old infant at a Modesto home in the 1600 block of Monterey Avenue on May 28, 2026. (Google Maps)
The newborn was identified by family members as Mateo Gonzalez.

A surviving 3-year-old child was also found inside the residence and taken to the hospital for evaluation. At the request of police, Child Protective Services later assumed custody of the child.

“During the initial response, officers quickly established a perimeter after information gathered at the scene led investigators to believe the suspect remained in the area,” police officials said in a news release. “The Modesto Police Department’s Hostage Negotiation Team, SWAT, and Investigations Division responded to assist.”

Mateo Gonzalez, 2-weeks-old, seen in this undated family photo. (Marisa Jimenez via GoFundMe)

A 28-year-old man is accused of killing the mother of his two children, their grandmother and their 2-week-old infant at a …

Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, 23, and her mother Maria Silvia Nunez-Villalobos, 54, residents of Modesto seen in this undated family …

Mateo Gonzalez, 2-weeks-old, seen in this undated family photo. (Marisa Jimenez via GoFundMe)

A 28-year-old man is accused of killing the mother of his two children, their grandmother and their 2-week-old infant at a …

A 28-year-old man is accused of killing the mother of his two children, their grandmother and their 2-week-old infant at a …

A nearby school was placed on lockdown, with students and staff later moved to another campus for reunification with their families while police continued to search for the suspect, later identified as Joaquin Escoto.

Investigators eventually located Escoto hiding in a nearby home and took him into custody.
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According to police, Escoto is believed to have lived in the home with the victims, is the father of the deceased infant and the 3-year-old child, and was in a relationship with Fabiola, the mother of both children. The exact nature of their relationship remains unclear.

“Following his arrest, Escoto was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on three counts of murder, special circumstance enhancements, using a deadly weapon, and an outstanding Modesto Police Department warrant related to a prior DUI case,” investigators said in an updated release.

Escoto remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

“In a single moment, generations of love, memories, and dreams for the future were taken from us,” Marisa Jimenez wrote in a GoFundMe organized to help the family cover funeral costs, as well as counseling and support services for relatives.