California Sanctuary Politicians RELEASED Criminal Illegal Alien From Jail Who Went on to Commit Heinous Stabbing of Two Women and a Baby

ICE lodged an arrest detainer asking California sanctuary politicians to not release this criminal illegal alien AGAIN

WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking sanctuary politicians in California to not release from jail an illegal alien who was arrested and charged with stabbing two women and an infant to death. This criminal illegal alien was previously RELEASED by California sanctuary politicians after his arrest for driving under the influence.

On May 28, 2026, the Modesto Police Department responded to reports of a disturbance at a home, where they found three victims with stab wounds. According to local reports, two of the victims - 23-year-old Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez and 54-year-old Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos - were pronounced dead at the scene. The third victim, an infant named Mateo Gonzalez, died at the hospital. Police confirmed that Gonzalez-Nunez was the infant's mother and that Nunez-Villalobos was the infant's grandmother.

Mateo Gonzalez

23-year-old Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez (left) and 54-year-old Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos (right)

Shortly after finding the victims, police arrested 28-year-old Joaquin Escoto Vazquez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who is believed to have been in a relationship with Gonzalez-Nunez.

The suspect: Joaquin Escoto Vazquez

Vazquez now faces felony charges of homicide and cruelty toward child. His criminal history includes FOUR prior arrests for driving under the influence of liquor (DUI).

Following the most recent of Vazquez's previous DUI arrests in June of 2025, ICE placed a detainer with the San Joaquin County Jail asking that he be turned over to ICE custody. Sanctuary politicians in California REFUSED to cooperate and RELEASED him without notifying ICE.

ICE has placed another detainer on Vazquez with the Stanislaus County Jail following his arrest for the fatal stabbings.

"This monster's heinous crime could have been prevented if sanctuary politicians in California simply cooperated with ICE law enforcement. This criminal illegal alien from Mexico is now charged with homicide and cruelty toward child after the fatal stabbings of a baby, the baby's mother, and the baby's grandmother," said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "ICE had placed a detainer on him after he was arrested for driving under the influence of liquor in 2025, but California sanctuary politicians chose to RELEASE him instead of turning him over to ICE. Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians must stop putting lives at risk by RELEASING criminals from jails into California communities to create more victims."

Vazquez illegally entered the country in California in 2018, and was deported by the first Trump Administration. He then illegally re-entered the United States - a felony - at an unknown date and location.

In February, ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta calling on him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California's custody.

California's failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 dangerous drugs offenses, 379 weapons offenses, and 234 sexual predatory offenses.

There are currently 33,179 aliens in the custody of a California jurisdiction with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.

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