Accused home burglar fatally stabs mom, then son who confronted him, California cops say

A man is facing prison time after being accused of breaking into a home and fatally stabbing two people inside, California officials said.

On Oct. 24, Fabian Gamez, 30, broke into a Tulare home and stabbed 58-year-old Melissa Quinn when she confronted him, according to an Oct. 28 Facebook post by the police department.

During the fatal stabbing, Quinn’s son, Raymond Garza, 38, intervened and was also stabbed to death, police said.

“Losing them, not just one but both at the same time, is a huge hit to the family. They were our protectors and if anything happened they were the first to defend their family members,” Michael Garza, Raymond Garza’s younger brother, told ABC7.

One of Quinn’s sons heard the commotion, shot Gamez and was able to keep him from getting away until officers arrived, police told McClatchy News.

“The two of them were always together, almost connected at the hip. It’s only fitting they both left this world together, it’s a shame it happened in such a tragic way,” loved ones said on a GoFundMe page.

Officers arrived and found Gamez in the backyard, officials said.

He was treated at a local hospital before being booked into the Tulare County South Detention Facility, officers said.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office filed special circumstance murder charges against Gamez, according to an Oct. 29 news release.

The charges were enhanced because the crime “consisted of multiple murders, the murders were committed during a burglary, a deadly weapon was used, great bodily injury was inflicted, the victims were vulnerable, the conduct was violent and ... the crime took planning and sophistication,” the district attorney said.

Gamez pleaded not guilty Oct. 29, officials said.

He is scheduled to reappear in court Nov. 8, the release said.

Due to California sentencing laws, Gamez is facing “a maximum sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole,” officials said.

Tulare is about a 220-mile drive southeast of Sacramento.

This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Accused home burglar fatally stabs mom, then son who confronted him, California cops say."