TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about suicide, which may be triggering to some.
For a lot of kids, there’s no safer space than their family home. It’s the place where they gather around the dinner table to discuss everything that happened at school that day. It’s the spot where their parents read them a stack of bedtime stories each night and where they get cuddles on the couch. A child’s home should be filled with all things cozy and comforting, and when it’s not, it can quickly become a nightmare. In California, three kids ran scared from their home and called 911 after they allegedly saw their father assault their mother. When authorities arrived at the home, both parents were unresponsive and declared dead in a suspected murder-suicide.
After allegedly seeing their dad assault their mom, the kids left their California home.
Police arrived to a gruesome scene. In a post shared on Instagram, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office shared that deputies responded to a home about 9:30 p.m. on March 20, 2026, in regard to a domestic violence call.
According to ABC 10, three young children ran from the home and a juvenile called emergency services claiming their father was “assaulting their mom.” Fortunately, the children were later found safe hiding nearby, per People.
When deputies arrived at the home, they saw an unresponsive woman through the window. When they entered the residence, they also found an unresponsive male. Both parents were declared dead at the Sacramento home, per ABC 10.
What a horrific set of circumstances for their young children.
The case is being investigated as a murder-suicide.
According to ABC 10, no gun was found within the home, but this case is being investigated as a murder-suicide with no outstanding suspects. Sergeant Edward Igoe from the sheriff’s office told KCRA it appeared that an argument “escalated into a violent encounter.”
The father involved in this violent incident had been arrested several years ago and recently returned home after serving time in jail, neighbors told ABC 10, but the sheriff’s office could not confirm that information.
Neighbor Clay Warix explained that it was strange to see the normally peaceful neighborhood filled with law enforcement. “There’s a helicopter, there was an undercover cop that came driving down the street, just lots of sirens and looked like havoc,” he told ABC 10.
The well-being of the children who apparently witnessed some of the violent incident is a top priority.
Igoe told ABC 10 that the children have been placed with relatives. He noted how difficult these types of calls involving kids can be for law enforcement. “Obviously, anything that’s involving any type of kids is always gonna be one of the most difficult calls that any of our employees are gonna deal with. It’s very fortunate that they’re safe,” he explained.
When you pause to think about those young kids and what they witnessed that night, it’s a really difficult feeling to shake.
Warix spoke to ABC 10 about their bravery that evening. He said, “It’s sad. I couldn’t imagine what the kids went through and how they dealt with that. I’m happy to see that they’re brave enough to step out and make the call that was necessary.”
Certainly, we can all agree that no child should ever be put in a position to have to make a call like that. Our thoughts are with the children at this time. We hope they have a loving family and community around them to help get them through this distressing situation.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
