Relatives praise the 19-year-old survivor as detectives work to learn a motive.
LAKEWOOD, CA — Relatives spoke publicly Friday after authorities said a 52-year-old Lakewood man fatally shot his wife and 17-year-old daughter inside their home Thursday morning, then killed himself as his 19-year-old daughter looked on. Deputies recovered two handguns at the scene.
Investigators say the violence unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday on the 5800 block of Lorelei Avenue, a quiet residential stretch near South Street. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified the shooter as Hector Lionel Alfaro, 52. Officials said he killed his 48-year-old wife and the couple’s younger daughter before firing at their 19-year-old daughter and missing. He then turned the gun on himself. The surviving daughter, described by authorities as “extremely distraught,” spoke with detectives and was released to family. The department called the case an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the neighborhood.
Family members gathered near the home Friday and shared memories of a devoted mother and two close-knit sisters. Jorge Fuentes, the victims’ brother-in-law, said relatives are leaning on one another as they plan how to support the survivor. “It’s hard to process,” Fuentes said, adding that neighbors opened their homes and brought food as the family waited for updates. Detectives said all three bodies were found in separate bedrooms. The sheriff’s department reported responding at 7:55 a.m. to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon and pronounced the three deceased at the scene. The coroner has not released the victims’ names.
Deputies said two firearms were recovered inside the house and that investigators are checking whether either weapon was legally owned. Officials said they are reviewing possible prior calls for service to the address and interviewing relatives about any recent changes in the household. The 19-year-old told investigators she awoke to gunfire and saw her father with a handgun before he fired toward her and missed, according to a sheriff’s summary. Detectives are also canvassing the block for doorbell video and checking nearby businesses for surveillance that could clarify the timeline. Motive remains unknown, and authorities said there was no immediate evidence pointing to a dispute that morning.
Lakewood, a city of about 80,000 in southeast Los Angeles County, typically reports lower violent-crime rates than many nearby communities, according to recent annual city statistics. Neighbors described the street as calm, with families who have lived there for years. Several said they heard a series of sharp bangs between 7:45 and 8 a.m. Thursday and initially thought it might be construction. Others said they saw patrol cars racing in and crime-scene tape going up within minutes. The killings were among the most severe incidents in Lakewood in recent years and drew a response from city officials, who expressed condolences and deferred to the sheriff’s department for details.
Detectives said the investigation will include forensic testing of the handguns, trajectory analysis inside the bedrooms, and a review of phone records and messages in the days leading up to the shootings. The case will be presented to the coroner’s office for official cause of death rulings, which could be released next week. If any history of domestic calls is found, those reports would be included in the case file. Officials said they plan to brief the public again once the coroner confirms identifications and next-of-kin notifications are complete. The sheriff’s department asked anyone with information to contact homicide investigators.
Outside the yellow tape Friday afternoon, relatives hugged quietly and placed small bouquets on a low wall. A neighbor who has lived on Lorelei Avenue for more than a decade said the younger daughter often walked a small dog past his driveway. “They were always together,” he said of the sisters. Fuentes thanked the community for “showing up when we needed help” and said the family will focus on the eldest daughter’s recovery and funeral plans once the coroner releases the remains. “She’s strong,” he said. “She’s here because she ran when she had to.”
As of Saturday morning, the coroner had not publicly released the victims’ names. Investigators said they expect to provide an update after formal identifications and autopsies are completed early next week.
Author note: Last updated January 17, 2026.