Police said a 4-year-old child survived and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
MODESTO, Calif. — Two women and an infant were killed Thursday morning in a stabbing at a home near Orville Wright Elementary School, where police later arrested a 28-year-old suspect after an hourslong neighborhood search.
The deaths shook Modesto’s airport neighborhood and prompted a major police response near Monterey and Thrasher avenues. Police identified the suspect as Joaquin Escoto and said investigators believe he shared a child with one of the victims. The victims’ names had not been released as authorities worked to notify relatives.
Officers responded shortly after 9:20 a.m. to the 1600 block of Monterey Avenue after a reported disturbance, police said. They found a woman in her 20s with multiple stab wounds. She died at the scene. Officers then searched the home and found a woman in her 50s and an infant with apparent stab wounds. The older woman also died at the scene, and the infant was taken to a hospital, where the child later died.
A second child, about 4 years old, was found inside the home and taken to a hospital for evaluation and clearance, police said. Officials did not release the child’s condition or explain the child’s relationship to the victims. Police set up a perimeter after learning the suspect might still be nearby. The department’s SWAT team, hostage negotiators and investigators responded as officers searched the area.
Orville Wright Elementary School, which is near the home, was placed on lockdown as a precaution. Modesto City Schools later moved students and staff by bus to La Loma Junior High School, about a mile and a half away, where families were reunited with children. Police said the relocation was done because officers expected a long presence in the area.
Escoto was later found hiding inside a nearby residence and was taken into custody without incident, police said. Authorities did not immediately announce formal charges Thursday evening. Police said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public, but the investigation remained active as detectives processed the home and interviewed witnesses.
The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office was expected to identify the victims after family notifications. Police had not released a motive, a detailed timeline inside the home or whether a weapon had been recovered. The case remained under investigation Friday, May 29, with the next public update expected from Modesto police or prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated May 29, 2026.