A California teen girl was "catfished" by a man who killed her grandparents and mom on Friday, November 25, before taking her along with him, according to police.
Riverside Police Department first got wind of the gruesome crimes when they received reports of a young female appearing distressed as she was getting into a vehicle with a man, according to the Daily Beast. While the police officers were on their way to respond, a fire was reported to have broken out just a few houses away from where the teen girl had been seen.
When firefighters stopped the blaze, three bodies were found lying on the ground inside the house. Police issued a news release on Sunday, saying that their bodies were pulled outside the residence. It was then determined that they were the victims of an apparent homicide.
Grandparents and mom of teen girl killed in blaze ignited by suspect
The victims were identified as 69-year-old Mark Winek, his 65-year-old wife Sharie Winek, and their 38-year-old daughter Brooke Winek, according to NBC Los Angeles. Preliminary investigations determined that the distressed young female who was seen getting into a car with the suspect was Brooke's teen daughter.
She also lived at the property where the fire started. According to authorities, it appeared the fire that engulfed the Winek home had been intentionally ignited.
The man seen with the teen girl was later identified as 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards of North Chesterfield, Virginia. He was found driving with the teen girl in Kelso as authorities from Riverside alerted other agencies about the triple homicide. Edwards opened fire on the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's deputies before he was ultimately killed in the shootout.
The teen girl he abducted was unharmed during the shootout. She has been placed by the Riverside County Department of Public Services in protective custody. Detectives ultimately discovered that the teen girl met the suspect through catfishing.
Edwards was a law enforcement officer
It is thought that Edwards managed to obtain the teen girl's personal information when the pair entered into an online relationship. The suspect then drove from Virginia to Riverside and parked his car on a neighbor's driveway before walking to the teenager's home. Police added that at some point, Edwards murdered the teen's mother, grandfather, and grandmother, before walking back to his car with the girl and leaving.
Detectives also made a stunning discovery, saying that Edwards had previously worked for Virginia State Police. He also worked for the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, his most recent employment.
Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez issued a statement, saying that their hearts go out to the Winek family and their loved ones during this time. He added that this is a tragedy for all Riversiders, CNN reported.
Gonzalez said this is yet another horrific reminder of online predators who prey on their children. He urged parents to converse with their kids on how to be safe online and on social media to protect them better.
