Three people of interest who are thought to be members of a San Diego-area gang were announced on Friday. Four years later, detectives are still trying to solve the murder of seven people at an illegal cannabis grow in rural Riverside County.
Following up on hundreds of leads over the years after the tragic murders at a secluded property in the desert on September 7, 2020, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said investigators have identified three people. According to authorities, all of the victims were of Laotian ancestry and might have been victims of human trafficking who were compelled to work at the site.
Bianco told reporters on Friday that some of the victims were directly from Laos, while others were people of Laotian descent who had been residing in other parts of California. “We do believe this is a human trafficking incident where they were brought here just to work at this marijuana grow, and so they were there solely for that purpose,” Bianco said.
Five women and two men, including Vikham Silimanotham, 64; Khamtoune Silimanotham, 59; Phone Chankhamany, 54; Khampout Nanthavongdouangsy, 53; Thongpath Luangkoth, 47; Samantha Sourignask, 44; and Souphanh Pienthiene, 48, were identified as the victims by Riverside County sheriff’s officials.
However, because police have had difficulty contacting some of the victims’ relatives, Bianco said those identifications are not entirely conclusive.
Investigators think a gang from the San Diego region with Laotian-descent members may have targeted the grow with the intention of stealing a lot of money, Bianco said. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the gang has been accused of targeting other Laotians throughout Riverside and San Diego counties, and all persons of interest are members of the gang.
The killings in the summer of 2020, which took place in the distant desert town of Aguanga, in unincorporated Riverside County, are thought to have occurred during a robbery of the property, which is situated in the 45000 block of Highway 371. Investigators discovered hundreds of plants and almost 1,000 pounds of cannabis left behind, despite the fact that no cash was discovered at the location, according to authorities.
“On that day, several armed individuals stormed the residence in the unincorporated area of Aguanga while the victims were sleeping in what we believe was a home invasion-type robbery of an illicit marijuana operation,” Bianco stated.
When detectives arrived around 12:30 a.m., they discovered a woman who had been shot numerous times and was gravely hurt. They discovered six more people who had been shot dead at the isolated property shortly after. At the scene, they were all declared dead.
After being transported to a hospital, the woman subsequently passed away from her wounds.
According to Bianco, detectives are aware that, based on their findings, there are those who are aware of the identity of the murderer. However, he noted that possible witnesses have occasionally been reluctant to come forward, which has made it challenging for investigators to obtain fresh information.
Bianco remarked, “They are very reluctant to come forward,” “They are afraid of retribution.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he called the deaths “brutal” and said that a number of people had escaped the property before seven people were shot dead, all of whom were site workers, some of whom were killed while they slept.
“The brutality of the Laotian gang really kind of sending a message,” Bianco stated. “They were trying to steal money by going in and out as fast as they could, and there were people in their path. Additionally, they had little trouble ensuring that nobody stood in their way.
“As you can guess, a large number of people were inside the house when they escaped. Workers at the grow, which was situated on a large property with a trailer and other temporary buildings, “all fled when the gunshots started ringing out,” Bianco added.
“To be perfectly honest and brutal with you, we have a deputy that is no longer with us because he couldn’t get over the scene,” Bianco stated. “It was a brutal murder of people while they were sleeping or while they were being, you know, rustled from their sleep and trying to get away.”
Authorities in Riverside County have characterized the location as an illegal cannabis grow that operates outside of the state’s legality and restrictions. Investigators have spoken with a number of additional personnel who survived the killings on September 7, 2020.
As stated by Master Investigator Jarred Bishop of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, “With the help of these survivors, other witnesses, and the records obtained, investigators believe there are at least three suspects involved in these murders.” As they slept, the majority of the victims were shot and killed. We are aware that the suspects stayed at the scene for at least fifteen minutes.
Investigators determined that a mid-size SUV with a black exterior was a suspect vehicle in the case. However, following the deadly killings, Riverside County officials claimed Friday that detectives later found the SUV had been in a collision and totaled. As a result, the car was never examined or searched in this case.
Riverside County investigators have been collaborating with law enforcement authorities in neighboring San Diego County on the case, according to Bianco. He claimed that the surrounding people may have told the gang members about the illegal grow site.
“So for these Laotian gangs to learn about something in the community, in the Laotian community, of a marijuana grow or something like that that would be relatively easy for them to find out,” Bianco explained.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!