Tulare County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 50-year old Eleazar Alcantar for fatally shooting his wife, then barricading himself inside his house.
It happened at a labor camp near the community of Woodville in Tulare County.
Deputies say the couple's three children are devastated by last night's murder. One of them actually confronted his father about the crime seconds after his mother was killed.
Deputies surrounded an apartment at Tulare County's Woodville Farm Labor Camp Monday night after several people called 911 to report a shooting.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Office says 50-year old Eleazar Alcantar shot and killed his wife, Maria Ceballos Alcantar, after they had an argument.
Deputies say the couple's three children, which include an adult man and woman plus a younger child, were in the house at the time.
"They heard the shots. One of the children fled the residence thru another avenue and then the male child he confronted his father and asked him what had happened," Lt. Scott Logue of the Tulare County Sheriff's Office said.
Lt. Scott Logue says Alcantar told his son he shot and killed his mother, adding that if he left the scene he wouldn't hurt him.
"I can only imagine how traumatic it was to not only hear that but for the man to go out and see his mother in that fashion. It had to be awful," Lt. Logue said.
After the murder, deputies say Eleazar Alcantar refused to come out of his house and talk to deputies. After a three-hour stand-off a SWAT team entered the home and took him into custody.
Alcantar's cousin, Jose, did not want to show his face on camera but says his family is surprised by the crime.
"They're not taking it too easy it's kind of hard coming from the family. We never known him as a violent individual. We don't know what triggered him to do things like this," Alcantar said.
Alcantar says Eleazar and Maria had been married for a long time and seemed happy.
"Hopefully everything turns out for the best, you know," Alcantar said.
