Posted at 06/10/2011 4:17 PM | Updated as of 06/10/2011 4:17 PM
BONITA, California - It was a mother's nightmare.
On the morning of June 1, Bernadette Jaccard was called by police to her daughter's newly-leased triplex. She found out that her daughter, Catherine Alvarez and her two grandchildren, Anjelica and Hamid, had been murdered.
"I love them. They will be missed, but in my heart I know they're in heaven and God is taking care of them and I feel good about that," said Jaccard.
After interviews with friends familiar with Alvarez's estranged boyfriend and alleged killer Alfredo Almonte, police say that Almonte moved in together with the family to the home several weeks ago.
Police believe the single mother had broken up with Almonte and was trying to kick him out of their home. He struck and strangled Catherine and the two children to death.
Police investigators say Almonte then drove off in Catherine's car and eventually killed himself. An autopsy revealed that Almonte was on drugs at the time of his death.
Flowers, candles and messages written in chalk now occupy the area where the three murders happened.
Jaccard says the community's response has kept her spirits up.
In need of $58,000 for funeral expenses, friends, family, and businesses have started a memorial fund, and are holding a series of fundraisers. Next week, local restaurants will dedicate nights where proceeds will go to the Alvarez family.
Friends of the children say they've been seeing school counselors since last week's tragedy.
Hamid's teammates remember him as an inspiring football player with an unforgettable smile, while Anjelica, a cheerleader, is remembered as a popular, polite 12-year-old.
"He came to practice all the time. He was ready. At first, he was shy but when he got to know the teammates and got to know everyone he did better," described Hamid's friend Jason Wilder.
"She was very positive about everything. She'd always make you feel comfortable she didn't gossip or anything she was a good person," recalled Anjelica's friend Idaliz Loya.
Jaccard says after the family moved to California in the 1970s, Catherine never got a chance to visit the Philippines. "She wanted to go back home someday, one day but it didn't happen. She's there in spirit," said Jaccard.
Police have completed the investigation and have named Almonte as the killer.
Almonte, a Dominican Republic citizen and self-employed handyman, had no prior criminal record.
The coroner's office says they have still not yet identified a next of kin to claim his body.
On the morning of June 1, Bernadette Jaccard was called by police to her daughter's newly-leased triplex. She found out that her daughter, Catherine Alvarez and her two grandchildren, Anjelica and Hamid, had been murdered.
"I love them. They will be missed, but in my heart I know they're in heaven and God is taking care of them and I feel good about that," said Jaccard.
After interviews with friends familiar with Alvarez's estranged boyfriend and alleged killer Alfredo Almonte, police say that Almonte moved in together with the family to the home several weeks ago.
Police believe the single mother had broken up with Almonte and was trying to kick him out of their home. He struck and strangled Catherine and the two children to death.
Police investigators say Almonte then drove off in Catherine's car and eventually killed himself. An autopsy revealed that Almonte was on drugs at the time of his death.
Flowers, candles and messages written in chalk now occupy the area where the three murders happened.
Jaccard says the community's response has kept her spirits up.
In need of $58,000 for funeral expenses, friends, family, and businesses have started a memorial fund, and are holding a series of fundraisers. Next week, local restaurants will dedicate nights where proceeds will go to the Alvarez family.
Friends of the children say they've been seeing school counselors since last week's tragedy.
Hamid's teammates remember him as an inspiring football player with an unforgettable smile, while Anjelica, a cheerleader, is remembered as a popular, polite 12-year-old.
"He came to practice all the time. He was ready. At first, he was shy but when he got to know the teammates and got to know everyone he did better," described Hamid's friend Jason Wilder.
"She was very positive about everything. She'd always make you feel comfortable she didn't gossip or anything she was a good person," recalled Anjelica's friend Idaliz Loya.
Jaccard says after the family moved to California in the 1970s, Catherine never got a chance to visit the Philippines. "She wanted to go back home someday, one day but it didn't happen. She's there in spirit," said Jaccard.
Police have completed the investigation and have named Almonte as the killer.
Almonte, a Dominican Republic citizen and self-employed handyman, had no prior criminal record.
The coroner's office says they have still not yet identified a next of kin to claim his body.
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