Man Shoots His Grandmother As Family Opens Presents On Christmas, Police Say

A California man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly shot and killed his grandmother while his family opened Christmas gifts, according to police.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of shots fired around 1:45 p.m., in Reedley. Upon arrival, police found two women, 58-year-old Magdalena Alvarez and 39-year-old Meisa Rashid, with fatal gunshot wounds. Authorities then learned that 23-year-old Austin Alvarez fled the scene in his pickup truck. Authorities immediately put out a notice for Alvarez and eventually found him approximately 10 miles from home before he was taken into custody.

Alvarez was arrested and booked in the Fresno County jail on two murder charges and one charge of attempted murder, according to police. His bail is set at $2.5 million. (RELATED: Grandmother And Her 4 Grandchildren Discovered Shot To Death Inside Home, Father Arrested)

Authorities later discovered Alvarez had arrived at the home where the family gathered to open Christmas gifts. At some point, Alvarez fatally shot his grandmother and Rashid, who was his father’s girlfriend, according to police. As Alvarez left the home, police say he fired several shots at his father, who had been sitting in a parked vehicle. His father was not hit.

Authorities are still trying to determine a motive as the investigation remains ongoing.

California has seen a wave of crime over recent weeks, with liberal lawmakers pledging to toughen their stance amid a surge in homicides and violence. Homicides in San Francisco have jumped 15% in 2021 when compared with 2020 and 50% when compared to 2019, according to data. Several Los Angeles city councilmembers have started redirecting funds from their districts to bolster police department’s overtime payroll to quell the rise in crime, according to the Los Angeles Times.