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TMCNet: Father fatally shoots son, then tries to kill himself

[February 09, 2010]

Father fatally shoots son, then tries to kill himself

Feb 09, 2010 (San Bernardino County Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SILVERWOOD LAKE -- A Hesperia man shot his 4-year-old son and then turned the gun on himself in the county's second shooting involving a father and son in less than two weeks.


Paramedics flew Jesus Roman Fuentes Jr., 34, and his son, Jesus Gabriel Fuentes, to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where the boy died of his wounds. The elder Fuentes was in critical condition Tuesday, San Bernardino County coroner's officials said.

"Apparently the suspect lived with his parents and the parents did find a suicide note where he indicated he intended to kill himself," said San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller.

Miller did not know if the note also specified Fuentes planned to harm his son.

Motorists found the pair at 6:11 p.m. after Fuentes intentionally crashed his car into a guard rail on Highway 138 north of the entrance to Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area.

Paramedics, who initially thought they had encountered car crash victims, soon discovered both occupants of the Honda Civic had suffered gunshot wounds. Coroner's officials said Fuentes shot his son and then himself after crashing the vehicle.

Miller said the boy's parents are divorced, but his mother was expecting her former husband to return the child Monday.

"The mother did state that the child was to be returned to her yesterday at 4:30 p.m," Miller said.

The incident came nine days after a Pinon Hills man and his 9-month-old son were found dead in Twin Peaks. Sheriff's officials said Stephen Garcia, 25, took his son Wyatt Garcia, of Yucca Valley, during a court-ordered visitation. He threatened to kill the child and then commit suicide.

Their bodies were found Jan. 31 inside a vehicle in the 26000 block of Old Toll Road.

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