Two sons, mother found dead in San Jose murder-suicide

This story has been revised. See below.

SAN JOSE — A mother and her two sons died in an apparent murder-suicide in South San Jose on Wednesday, police said.

Officers went to the 5300 block of Dent Avenue about 12:30 p.m. for a report of a suicide and found the bodies inside an apartment, according to San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia.

Garcia said homicide detectives believe the mother killed her boys, ages 4 and 7, and herself. No suspects are being sought.

Manner and cause of death will be determined by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, which will also release the identities of the mother and the boys once they have been confirmed and their next of kin notified, according to Garcia.

Denise Coleman, superintendent of the Union School District, declined to directly say whether the 7-year-old was a student in the district because he has not been officially identified.

But Coleman released a statement Thursday morning saying, “Today is a very difficult day for Lietz Elementary and the Union School District.” The elementary school is a few blocks from the scene of the murder-homicide.

“We are taking immediate steps now to provide support to our teachers, staff and parents,” Coleman said. “Students are being informed, based on the information we have, in grade-level-appropriate ways as guided by on-site crisis counselors. We have also directed additional teaching and support staff to the school.”

News of the deaths stunned neighbors.

“This is a shock considering I would see her very frequently,” said Maria Flores, who lives two doors down from the family. “My son would always be playing with those two little boys.”

Together, they would laugh and race their bicycles around the Dent Commons Apartments, Flores recalled.

A neighbor found the boys’ father screaming outside their apartment about 12:30 p.m. when officers were called to the scene, according to Flores. He had just returned home from a shopping trip.

Flores said the mother was “very sweet” and always smiling. The father was less congenial, something Flores attributed to a language barrier. The family was from Vietnam.

“They were cool people,” said Maribel Vejar, another neighbor. “We never expected this to happen.”

But both Flores and Vejar noted that the mother had lost her job at a nail salon last summer. She was the main bread winner for the family and loved her work, Flores said.

“I never saw this coming,” she said. “I don’t think anybody did because she was as sweet as could be. I just think it had a lot with her losing her job. I think that played a role in it.”

A worker at the Blossom Nail Spa in the Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell confirmed the woman once worked at the salon, but otherwise declined to talk with a reporter Thursday.

The deaths marked the city’s eighth and ninth homicides of 2019. There were six at this point last year.

Anyone with information about the deaths can contact Detective Sgt. T.J. Lewis or Detective Brian Meeker at 408-277-5283.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867) or svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.

Check back for updates.

Staff photographer Nhat Meyer contributed to this report.

HELP IS AVAILABLE:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.

Correction: March 7, 2019

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the family was from the Philippines, information that was provided by neighbors. The family is from Vietnam.

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