The Criminal Report Daily : Investigation Discovery

'Santa Suit' Killer's Rampage Leaves Nine Dead in California

Due to the actions of a single individual, at least 13 young people have been orphaned following a brutal massacre that occurred in Covina, California, on Christmas Eve.

Last Wednesday, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, 45, donned a Santa costume and armed himself with four handguns and a flamethrower before knocking on the front door of a home owned by his ex-wife's parents.

According to police, an eight-year-old girl answered the door, at which time Pardo shot her in the face. Pardo then burst inside, interrupting a Christmas Eve party with a hail of gunfire. Sixteen of the 25 guests managed to make it outside, while the others, who never had a chance to react, were shot execution-style.

Once he was satisfied with the carnage he had inflicted on the unsuspecting family, Pardo took out a homemade pressurized device that he had disguised as a present and doused the interior of the house with a flammable cocktail made up of high-octane racing fuel and compressed air. Unfortunately for Pardo, his plan hit a snag when the vapor suddenly ignited. It remains unclear whether a pilot light or candle was the cause; however, the ensuing fire caused Pardo to suffer third-degree burns to his arms and legs. The heat was so intense that portions of the Santa costume melted onto Pardo's flesh.

Partygoers who had managed to escape, some with serious injury, immediately called 911 to report the shootings and fire.

"He's shooting my whole family. My mum's house is on fire," Pardo's ex-sister-in-law, Leticia, told the emergency dispatcher. "We need someone immediately. My daughter's been shot. She was shot in the face."

Listen to the 911 callOpen Audio in New Window

Unbeknownst to police and firefighters who arrived on the scene, a severely injured Pardo had already fled the area and was en route to his brother's house in Sylmar, roughly 25 miles from the scene of the shooting.

It took nearly 100 firefighters an hour and a half to finally get the blaze under control. During a walkthrough of the interior, investigators found the charred remains of three victims in the living room area. Not long thereafter, authorities found the remains of five additional victims.

Police Identify Wealthy Family of Five Dead in California

The Orange County Sheriff's Department has positively identified the five family members who were found dead in an upscale California neighborhood last Sunday.

According to Lt. Erin Giudice, spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the victims have been identified as Manas Ucar, 58, and his wife Margrit, 48; 21-year-old twin daughters, Margo and Grace; and the family's maternal grandmother, 72-year-old Fransuhi Kesisoglu.

ABC News is reporting that Manas Ucar was a former Syracuse University professor who, along with his wife, had emigrated from Turkey several years ago. According to The Southern Ledger, the couple's daughters had recently completed bachelor degrees in biology.

Giudice confirmed reports that Manas and Margrit had suffered gunshot wounds; however could not comment on how the remaining family members died pending the release of additional autopsy results.

Yesterday, Guidice said that Manas and Margrit were found in a downstairs closet, while Margo, Grace and Fransuhi were discovered in the attached bedroom. Guidice also said that two handguns were found at the scene, one of which was registered to the Margrit Ucar.

More details are expected in the coming days.

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Manas Ucar's Photo Curtsey of Orange County Sheriff's Department

Wealthy Family Found Dead in California; Police Investigate Possible Murder-Suicide

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting deaths of five family members who were found dead in an upscale California neighborhood this past weekend.

According to Sheriff's Lt. Erin Guidice, a relative of the family was conducting a wellness check Sunday afternoon when they discovered the bodies inside their Sea Pointe Estates home, located approximately 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles.  Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene at about 4 p.m., just 10 minutes after receiving the initial 9-1-1 call.

The names of the dead were not immediately released and investigators have not officially commented on a cause of death.  However, the Orange County Register has reported that the victims – two sisters in their early 20s, an elderly woman, and a man and woman in their 40s or 50s – were all shot to death.  The bodies of the middle-aged couple were found in a downstairs closet, while the three other victims were discovered in the attached bedroom.

Yesterday, Guidice told the Associated Press that two handguns were found...

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