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Monday, January 29, 2024

5 Arrests Made for 6 Shot Dead in Mojave Desert Following Marijuana Grow Dispute

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat


5 arrests have been made several days after 6 bodies were found in a remote desert area near the San Bernardino County community of El Mirage, authorities said Monday.

Several of the arrests were made on a compound of a marijuana grow facility that was being built but wasn’t active yet. Authorities suspect that a conflict related to marijuana cultivation led to the murders.



On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at approximately 8:16 p.m., Sheriff’s Dispatch received a 911 call from 22-year-old victim Franklin Noel Bonilla. Franklin stated he had been shot but was unable to give his location.

"Dispatchers received a 911 call from a subject who spoke Spanish. The caller told dispatchers that he was shot, but he did not know the location he was at," Warrick said. The call ended before they could get further information, but the dispatchers were able to trace the phone's location to where the bodies were found.


Sheriff’s Dispatch determined the call was made from the area of Lessing Ave. and Shadow Mountain Rd. in the unincorporated area of Adelanto. Due to the remote location, SBSD requested assistance from the CHP, who lent a helicopter airship to their search.

"Once overhead the area, officers discovered a crime scene and what appeared to be multiple gunshot wound victims, two vehicles, and one of the vehicles ... had multiple gunshot strikes in it," Warrick said.

They found the bodies of 4 males, all of whom were severely burned, a body inside of one of the two cars. A short time later, Franklin, the sixth victim was located deceased nearby.


The 6 victims were all listed as Hispanic males and three names were released. The victims were reported to be Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran, a 34-year-old from Adelanto, Franklin Noel Bonilla, a 22-year-old resident of Hesperia, and Kevin Dariel Bonilla, a 25-year-old of Hesperia.

Two victims are currently unidentified and one 45-year-old's name was not released pending next of kin notification. Sheriff Dicus said a couple of the people identified in terms of the victims may be from Honduras. “We're working with the consulate to make that determination,” Dicus said referring to their legal status.

Through extensive investigation, investigators determined the victims had arranged to meet at the location for a marijuana transaction. The five suspects had arrived at the location and for reasons still under investigation, shot the six victims.


The five suspects have been identified as Apple Valley and Adelanto residents Toniel Baez-Duarte, 34, Mateo Baez-Duarte, 24, Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, 33, Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sabaria, 34, and Jose Manual Burgos Parra, 26.

On Sunday, January 28, 2024, the suspects were located and arrested. All suspects were booked for PC 187-Murder and are being held without bail. "We are confident we have arrested all the suspects in this case," Warrick said. "They are currently in custody with no bail."

Brothers Arrested

The apprehension of brothers Toniel Baez Duarte and Mateo Baez Duarte included a dramatic scene recounted by neighborhood eyewitness Deanne Rodarmel. A Sheriff's SWAT team announced demands over a loudspeaker in both English and Spanish for the brothers to come out of their residence unarmed. At the time of the announcement, the suspects were not present at the location.

The older of the two brothers, Toniel, 34, a laborer by trade, was captured around 2:00 PM near the Pearblossom Highway’s intersection with Highway 138 in Los Angeles County, not far from his home. He was booked at High Desert Detention Center without bail.

His brother Mateo, 9 years his junior and self-employed, was detained around the same a short later in Adelanto.

Illicit Marijuana Cultivation

"As far as the motives, we are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana, which resulted in the murders," Warrick said. "Through extensive investigation ... on Sunday, January 28, 2023, we were able to search multiple search warrants in the town of Apple Valley, Adelanto, and the Los Angeles County area of Pinon Hills."

Multiple search warrants were served during the investigation, and several firearms and additional evidence were located. Several of the arrests were made on a compound of a marijuana grow facility that was being built but wasn’t active yet.


San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus claimed, "Illicit marijuana is the driving force behind these murders."

"I think we need to acknowledge really why we're here and why we're talking about illegal marijuana," he added. "This is the area that’s known for illicit marijuana," Dicus said. "Based on our training and experience, we believe a lot of these things occurring may be related to much bigger things going on."

Amid his public statement, he criticized Proposition 64, a 2016 law that legalized recreational use of cannabis by people 21 and older. However, it also reduced the punishment for marijuana-related offenses. This has led to a large black market for marijuana in the state.

“In the last year, the Sheriff’s marijuana enforcement teams served a total of 411 search warrants for illegal marijuana grows. Were just talking 365 days. Discovered 14 honey oil labs, recovered 655,000 marijuana plants, 74,000 lbs. of processed marijuana, and $370 million. During that period our teams served 11 search warrants in the immediate area where the murders took place.

They served approximately 40 search warrants to the west of that area that we call the Shadow Mountain Area. So this is an area known for illicit marijuana,” stated Dicus, adding “It looks like illicit marijuana was the driving force behind these murders, and that’s all we really know at this point.”

38 comments:

  1. They all have the "criminal stigmata" judging by the looks. Or, how they say in Spanish "pinche cara de malandrinas".

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    1. Innocent til proven guilty, they are hoping for a sympathetic jury that buys into their story that they killed and incinerated those mutts in self defense..
      🦎

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    2. America is looking alot more like Mexico everyday.

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  2. Good work for law enforcement,....

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    1. That’s the thing about California they actually do have good police officers / detectives. They do really good work. If you’re a criminal in California you know it’s a matter of time before they sweep you up .

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    2. Not sure about that, they cant find grow sites in the desert and raid them. Do this a few times and they move to another area and you have no murders in the desert over weed.

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    3. Never underestimate anyone. LEOs are human too and no investigation gets launched and executed if folks just work and kept their business (legitimate or not and I’m not advocating criminal activity) in order … oh and pay your taxes.

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    4. But, but I thought this couldn't happen in the US because '6 3" Nordic second amendment angels wouldn't allow it.

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    5. @8.27 "Good work for law enforcement?" It's good work FOR them, because they can yell about Cartels taking over and secure their power and budget. That word Cartel is being used as a secret shield, but If you mean they did good work, let's wait and see.

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    6. If this happened in Mexico no arrests would have been made…

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  3. I KNEW SOME CHICANO RAZA WAS BEHIND THIS ONE!!!!! SHIT I BET THOSE SARABIA BROTHERS GOT ROOTS IN DURANGO THE NAME IS BIG OUT THERE. THE PAISAS THAT ONLY SPOKE SPANISH LOOK LIKE THEY WAS IN SOME LA RAZAS TOES

    $$$PLAYAMADECHOLO$$$

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    1. 10:44 what part of durango big players from la soledad durango huge ones where they have caves full of feria.

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  4. At least one of them is going to take a plea bargain & snitch his way out of the death penalty!

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    1. Sarabias and Burgos are well known in Sinaloa. Definitely CDS hit

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    2. Any sources they are related to the sarabias or Burgos ?

      Israelita 🇮🇱

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    3. @1114 more like one of them is gonna take the fall take the blame for all of them! One will do life and the rest will do time for manslaughter or something minimal and be out in less than a decade! I’m guessing it’s probably the oldest one that will take the fall!

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    4. California doesn’t have the death penalty anymore.

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    5. 11:55
      But they have death row.

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  5. $370 million.....was the so called street value of the yesca? Money found in the properties raided?

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  6. $370 Million discovered? Someone is benefiting from prop 64 and its not the growers. This is why the "war on drugs" is so profitable for USA and must continue.

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    1. Exactly why violence must be mitigated by all sides. Sadly our economies local and global do seem to have dependance on this ecosystem. Humanity is on the brink of huge advancements and immediate self destruction fast!!!!

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  7. THEY SAY THIS >>>>>> "Based on our training and experience, we believe a lot of these things occurring may be related to much bigger things going on. ">>>>> AND ITS LIKE DUH NO SHI- A FIRST GRADER COULD FIGURE THAT OUT

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  8. They were regulars at mariscos el Kaliman and also el Chaka in Hesperia

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    1. Not anymore my b0i

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    2. lol because that’s the only shit they got up there.
      The Hd is dead gtfo

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    3. They stopped going like over a year ago when the HD moteros went broke bankrupt, a year later they kill ea y other for deps

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  9. si ammazzano l'uno con altro,non riescono a fare affari senza fare rumore,devono .

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  10. Excellent 👌 work.
    Law enforcement in America, they investigate and arrest immediately.
    Now if this happened in Mexico, forget it hardly do they investigate, maybe only 10%.

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  11. Dumb asses!! This move doesn’t work in the USA 🇺🇸 A least not yet!!

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    1. Tell that to the 6 dead.

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    2. That move DID work. Desert, shootout, no others hurt… that’s good work, at least in the world they lived in. But, they got caught… someone snitched

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Estos gente si tiene escrupulos y valores. Estas retependejo. Son una bola de criminales, tal vez miembros de carteles k se mataron por marijuana y tu hablando de ellos como si fueran gente productiva k murio haciendo algo honorable. Ponte a trabajar o lee un libre para que se te quite lo ignorante.

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  13. They had problems amongst each other and handled it as they should. At least they didn't open fire on a school and killed innocent people.

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  14. It’s related to operation Deadhand google it I said what I said

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