Mother and children identified found dead in Reedley apartment in possible murder-suicide

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Police in Reedley believe a mother killed her two children and herself, but there are many unanswered questions about the crime.

The three were discovered by the woman's husband Monday night.

Neighbors say the family moved into the apartment near Myrtle and East less than two months ago.

Christina Rodriguez lives across the street and says she often saw the mother and children outside.

"They were a quiet, normal family. The mother was outside with the kids. The little boy was trying to learn to ride a bike. The mother pushed the baby in a stroller. I didn't think she could do anything like that."

Another neighbor told us they saw the husband come home Monday night. He was unable to get inside because the door was locked. He pounded on the door, then got the manager to let him in. He found the bodies then called the police.

Reedley Police Chief Joe Garza says officers and paramedics responded to the scene and found the mother and children dead. He said it appeared to be a murder-suicide.

Garza couldn't go into detail but said a gun or knife was not used. In fact, he said there were no apparent signs of injury to the mother or children. But Garza said he's leaving it to the coroner's office to determine a cause of death.

The deaths upset other residents of the apartment complex. Anna Cortez said "Poor babies, that broke my heart. I cried because it was so sad."

The victims are identified as the mother Vera Lucia Diaz Nunez, she was 32. Octavio Farfan Diaz was 4, and Miranda Farfan Dias was just 21 months old.

Police say the husband is distraught. They also say he is not a suspect. But they know very little about the family. They've had no reports of disturbances here. They believe the family has relatives in Southern California.