A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting and arson of four people as they slept in a Lancaster home, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Miguel Diego Sandoval was charged with four counts of murder in the Nov. 16 attack on Christine Akaaku, 25. her younger brother, Janhvi Makindan (21); Edwin Garcia (24) and Matthew Montebello (23).
The charges include special circumstances charges of murder in waiting and multiple murders, as well as charges involving the use of a firearm.
Sandoval is also charged with one count each of first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling and arson of a residential structure.
The shooting was reported Saturday in a community in northern Los Angeles County. Firefighters were dispatched around 1:30 a.m. and extinguished the fire.
Akaaku, Garcia and Makidan died at the scene. Deputies pulled Montebello from the burning home in the 44500 block of North Tabler Avenue, near East Avenue J and Challenger Way, but he was pronounced dead late the next day, authorities said.
Sandoval allegedly set the house on fire to cover up the robbery and shooting. It is suspected that they broke into the residence while the residents were sleeping and opened fire before setting it on fire.
He was subsequently arrested on November 21st and is scheduled to be arraigned in a Lancaster court on January 27th.
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