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An Amber Alert notification was issued in California for sisters Arya and Alana Maldonado, aged three and two, respectively, after their mother was found dead in their Hanford home on January 28. The Amber Alert has been issued across most of Central and Southern California.
Authorities believe their father, 23-year-old Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, abducted the girls around early morning, 1 a.m. Tuesday, following an alleged shooting that left their mother dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The Kings County Sheriff's Department discovered their mother during a welfare check that day.
Maldonado-Cruz, the father of the two girls, described as armed and dangerous, may have fled to Mexico along with his daughters. Jonathan Maldonado was last seen driving a gray 2020 Hyundai Elantra with California license plate 8LZD084. He is described as being approximately 215 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Arya and Alana Maldonado are still missing.
It is unknown at this time what Maldonado-Cruz or either of the girls was wearing when the incident occurred. Deputies reported to ABC News7 that the FBI and Mexican authorities are assisting in the search for Arya and Alana Mandolando. He is deemed armed and dangerous, according to officials, because the gun used in the shooting has not been found.
More about Arya and Alana Maldonado
The Kings County Sheriff's Office has shared a post on their Facebook about Ayra and Alana Maldonado's Amber Alert. According to the Amber Alert, Arya weighs approximately 25 pounds and is 3 feet tall, while Alana Maldonado weighs around 20 pounds and is 2.5 feet tall. Both girls have brown hair and brown eyes. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is the agency responsible for issuing the alert.
In the statement, the Kings County Sheriff's Office mentioned:
"On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at about 4:00pm, KCSO Deputies were dispatched to the 11500 block of Fourth Place, Hanford, for a request to check the welfare of an adult female. Upon arrival at the residence, Deputies located the female deceased from a gunshot wound. Deputies contacted the KCSO Detective Unit who responded and took over the scene."
It further read,
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"Detectives identified the suspect as 23-year-old Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, out of Hanford. Detectives believe Jonathan left the residence at approximately 1:00 am on January 28, 2025, with two female children he shared with the victim, ages 2 and 3."
Anyone with information about this case or the whereabouts of Jonathan and the children is urged to contact Detective Tyler Haener at (559) 670-9320 or (559) 852-2818, or Kings County Sheriff's Dispatch at (559) 852-2720. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling (559) 852-4554.
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