On January 23, 2024, 34-year-old Baldemar Mondragon-Albarran of Adelanto was found dead alongside five other men in a remote desert area near Lessing Avenue and Shadow Mountain Road in unincorporated Adelanto. Deputies responded after a 911 call from one victim, 22-year-old Franklin Noel Bonilla, who said he had been shot but could not give an exact location. All six victims had gunshot wounds; four were partially burned. The victims included Franklin Noel Bonilla, Kevin Dariel Bonilla, Jose Ruelas-Calderon, Narcisco Sandoval, and Adrian Ochoa-Salgado.

Investigators say the group had arranged a meeting at the location for a marijuana transaction when five suspects arrived and fatally shot the six men. Five suspects — Toniel Baez-Duarte, Mateo Baez-Duarte, Jose Nicolas Hernandez-Sarabia, Jose Gregorio Hernandez-Sarabia, and Jose Manuel Burgos Parra — were arrested on January 28, 2024, after search warrants in Apple Valley, Adelanto, and Pinon Hills and charged with six counts of murder and six counts of robbery; several face special firearm allegations and special circumstance multiple-murder allegations. All were held without bail.

Authorities noted the area is known for illicit marijuana activity and said investigators could not confirm any cartel connection. Anyone with information about the meeting or the suspects is asked to come forward.