A Washington couple allegedly murdered one another while their 11-year-old child played video games with headphones on in a nearby room in the home.
According to a press release shared by the Cowlitz County Sherrif’s Office on Thursday, Juan Antonio Alvarado Saenz, 38, and Cecilia Robles Ochoa, 39, died from fatal injuries after “assaulting one another” during an apparent fight at their Longview, Washington home on Halloween.
Police said they responded to a report of a shooting on October 31, and discovered two adults “down in the kitchen area of the residence.” While fire and rescue team were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to authorities, an 11-year-old child was the only other person there at the time, but did not see the murder because they were “in a different room playing video games while using earbuds.”
Police also said the child called authorities after discovering his deceased parents. “The child called 911 to report finding their parents down, with one having been shot,” the sheriff’s office noted in the press release.
Autopsies showed that Alvarado Saenz “died from multiple stab wounds to the chest,” while Robles Ochoa “died from gunshot and stab wounds.”
Police reportedly recovered a pistol and a knife from the crime scene. The sheriff’s office said the gun used in the incident was “stolen” from Alvarado Saenz’s employer, noting that it was “discovered to be missing” until after the murder.
According to the press release, during the investigation, detectives discovered through “multiple interviews” that Alvardo Saenz and Robles Ochoa “had relationship issues and intended to separate.”
Meanwhile, police also stated that there is “no evidence of any third-party involvement.”
However, the press release noted that the investigation and the autopsy results show that “both subjects were assaulting each other, but investigators are unable to determine a primary aggressor.”
The child’s identity, meanwhile, has not been released.
