ICE Demands End to California Sanctuary After Modesto Triple Murder
Federal immigration officials demand California end sanctuary policies after a three-times-deported man fatally stabbed his partner, her mother, and their two-week-old infant in Modesto.
Three generations of a Modesto family are dead because a three-times-deported criminal walked free in California. Joaquin Escoto Vazquez fatally stabbed his partner, her mother and their two-week-old infant son last week — murders the Department of Homeland Security says were entirely preventable.
Escoto was released from San Joaquin County Jail because California sanctuary law blocked federal immigration authorities from detaining him. The case illustrates a policy that has returned thousands of criminal illegal aliens to communities since January 20, prioritizing political doctrine over public safety.
The May 28 triple homicide destroyed a Modesto family in a single afternoon. Police found 23-year-old Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez and her 54-year-old mother, Maria Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos, dead from multiple stab wounds in their Monterey Avenue home. Two-week-old Mateo Gonzalez died at a hospital from stab wounds. A 3-year-old child survived uninjured and is now in Child Protective Services custody.
Modesto Police Department SWAT and hostage negotiators established a perimeter around the neighborhood. They located Escoto hiding in a nearby residence. He faces three counts of murder with special circumstance enhancements, use of a deadly weapon, willful cruelty to a child and an outstanding DUI warrant.
Escoto's immigration record shows a pattern of violations and criminal behavior. The 28-year-old Mexican national illegally entered California in 2018 and was deported under the first Trump Administration. He illegally re-entered the country at an unknown date.
San Joaquin County arrested Escoto in June 2025 for his fourth DUI. ICE lodged an immigration detainer that same day, requesting notification before his release so federal authorities could take custody for deportation. A senior law enforcement official told the New York Post, "Safe to say, California law prohibited the jail from complying."
The county jail released Escoto without notifying ICE. California's SB 54 sanctuary law requires that compliance. The statute bars local authorities from honoring ICE detainers unless individuals are convicted of specific serious felonies. A DUI does not qualify.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called for federal cooperation on June 1. "This monster's heinous crime could have been prevented if sanctuary politicians in California simply cooperated with ICE law enforcement," Bis said. "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."
Bis demanded that Governor Gavin Newsom "must stop putting lives at risk by releasing criminals from jails into California communities to create more victims."
The Escoto case is one documented instance within a broader pattern of releases. DHS statistics show California's refusal to honor ICE detainers since January 20 has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens. Those individuals are responsible for 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries and 184 robberies.
Another 33,179 criminal illegal aliens remain in California custody with active ICE detainers. Their offenses include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults and 1,293 sexual predatory crimes.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in February that "Governor Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk."
Newsom has consistently defended SB 54 against federal challenges. His office told then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in August 2025 that sanctuary law "does not impede criminal investigations" and that California has coordinated with ICE on more than 11,300 cases since 2019.
The Escoto case directly contradicts that defense. Sanctuary law explicitly blocked an ICE detainer, preventing federal authorities from taking a violent criminal into custody. Newsom's office has not responded to the DHS statement regarding this triple homicide.
Modesto Police Lt. Eric Schuller called the killings "a tragedy" and confirmed the department believes the incident was isolated. Modesto recorded zero homicides in 2025. The city has seen five by late May 2026.
A family fundraiser has raised more than $18,000 for funeral expenses and counseling. GoFundMe organizer Marisa Jimenez wrote, "Our family is experiencing a heartbreaking loss that words cannot adequately express." She continued, "In a single moment, generations of love, memories, and dreams for the future were taken from us."
Former Attorney General Bondi stated sanctuary laws "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design." California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton was more direct, saying "Gavin Newsom has the blood of these women and this innocent little baby on his hands."
The question is not whether honoring a detainer would have prevented this case. Federal authorities state it would have. The question is whether California's sanctuary laws will survive accountability for releasing violent criminals who then claim American lives.