Amber Alert for 2 California children issued after their mother is found dead

HANFORD, Calif. (TCN) — Authorities issued an Amber Alert this week for two young children after finding their mother deceased.

On Jan. 28, at approximately 4 p.m., the Kings County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Fourth Place to perform a welfare check, where they discovered a woman dead with a gunshot wound. The sheriff’s office did not disclose her name.

Upon further investigation, detectives identified 23-year-old Jonathan Maldonado-Cruz as the primary suspect. He allegedly left the home with his and the victim’s two children, 3-year-old Arya Maldonado and 2-year-old Alana Maldonado.

Maldonado-Cruz reportedly drove off in a 2020 Hyundai Elantra with California license plate number 8LZD084. Investigators believe Maldonado-Cruz is possibly on his way to Mexico and should be considered armed and dangerous.

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