Family slain off Florida highway identified
Source ::: AP

FORT PIERCE, Florida • A family of four found shot to death along an isolated stretch of highway had moved to Florida from Texas four months ago, authorities said yesterday.

The family, including two boys aged 3 and 4, was found on Friday, fatally shot along Florida’s Turnpike in Port St Lucie, about 100 miles north of Miami. Investigators believe their vehicle, a 1998 four-door Jeep Cherokee, had pulled to the side of Florida’s Turnpike before someone else in the vehicle shot them and drove away sometime between 1.30 am and 3 am.

No one has been arrested, but authorities were searching for clues yesterday into the deaths, Sheriff Ken Mascara said. A search warrant was issued for the family’s home in Greenacres in Palm Beach County, where they had moved in June from the Brownsville, Texas, area. Authorities also were looking for the family’s black Jeep Cherokee, which had a Florida temporary licence plate, Mascara said.

The mother, identified as Yessica Guerrero Escobedo, 25, was found clutching her two sons in an apparent effort to protect them. The body of the father, Jose Luis Escobedo, who would have turned 29 yesterday, was found nearby. The victims appeared to be lying down or kneeling when they were shot, Mascara said.

A motive for the shootings was not yet known. Authorities said the victims and the shooter may have known each other, and investigators were not approaching the crime as a carjacking.

Mascara showed pictures of the family, including a photo of the two young boys in what appeared to be a bedroom, at a news conference yesterday.

Mascara said on Friday the mother and father suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Formal autopsy results were not expected until tomorrow, according to the medical examiner’s office. Family members in Texas were notified of the deaths.

The scene of the shootings in a grassy area along the highway had no activity yesterday, a day after a passer-by spotted the bodies and alerted the Florida Highway Patrol, kicking off a search for evidence.

The vehicle left marks in the grass as it pulled away. A turnpike camera was in the area but wasn’t recording at the time.

They also sifted through trash cans along the turnpike to look for any evidence. Bullets found at the scene on Friday were being analysed to see if the same kind had been used in any other crimes.

Seven other law enforcement agencies around the country were involved in the investigation, Mascara said. Investigators had received about 200 phone calls offering tips, the sheriff said.


http://news.yahoo.com/pho...Nzc3JlbA--

horrible....

Yikes!

Heartbreaking ...

This is just horrible! I know a lot of people on here don't like guns, but when I hear stories like this, I'm glad my man has one. I can't imagine the horror of their last moments. It breaks my heart.

Looks like it was intentional

Incredible....well actually, the more I ponder it, not entirely. I remember living in Florida and the grizzly crimes and murders that would take place every day. Sadly after a while of being there they were so commonplace that it seemed to desensitize you to violence. I remember people used to come visit us from other states and would be mortified every time they turned on the news, every night at 6 or 11 you had the makings of stories that looked like they were lifted from horror movies. I had alway wondered in my time away from there if things had improved or become less violent, but sadly and apparently not

May those poor souls rest in peace...