DELANO, Calif. — A typically quiet neighborhood in Delano was disrupted over the weekend as police responded to a tragic incident.
On Sunday morning, officers from the Delano Police Department were called to a home near Madison Street and 7th Avenue to investigate the deaths of a mother and her son.
Delano Police Department investigates two death as murder suicide.{p}{/p}{p}{/p}
Joe Madrigal, administrative commander with the Delano PD, stated that a separate individual had alerted authorities. Upon arrival, officers found the mother appeared to have been shot, while the son had a self-inflicted wound.
RELATED: Delano PD investigate apparent murder-suicide
The circumstances leading up to the incident remain unclear. “There was some time in between the incident and the time she called police,” Madrigal said.
Delano Police Department investigates two death as murder suicide.
Neighbors expressed shock, describing the mother as friendly and the son as successful in his business. They noted that the pair were often seen together and that nothing seemed amiss.
Madrigal confirmed that police had previously responded to the home for disturbances, but nothing of a criminal nature. “Most of them were disturbances, nothing of a physical nature, nothing as far as criminal,” he said.
DELANO POLICE FILE KBAK/KBFX
A neighbor, who spoke off camera, recounted speaking with the family the night before the tragedy and hearing a woman screaming the next morning next to police officers.
Madrigal emphasized that the incident might not have been preventable, but reminded the community of available resources.
The Open Door Network, a local nonprofit, recently opened a Family Justice Center in Delano to support victims of intimate partner violence and other traumas. Ilene Parra of the Open Door Network highlighted the importance of recognizing signs of abuse, such as jealousy and isolation, and encouraged reaching out for help. “When they’re ready to receive that service, it will always be available to them,” Parra said.