At least 9 women and children murdered in apparent ambush in Mexico

Daniel Gonzalez | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Video shows burned-out vehicle of family killed in Mexico ambush "Nita and four of my grandchildren are burned and shot up," a man says as he films a vehicle that was attacked in Sonora, Mexico, on Nov. 4, 2019.

A Queen Creek family is mourning the deaths of numerous relatives, including three mothers and their six young children, killed Monday in an ambush in Sonora.

The three mothers who were killed lived in a community in the state of Sonora and had dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship, according to Leah Staddon, who grew up in the same Mormon community, Bavispe, before moving to Queen Creek.

The three mothers were driving from Bavispe to a wedding in LaBaron, another community in the state of Chihuahua, when their three vehicles loaded with children were attacked by gunfire, causing one of the vehicles to explode in flames, Staddon said. A video posted online shows a burned vehicle riddled with bullet holes.

UPDATE: Arrest made in connection with Mexico ambush

Staddon originally thought 10 relatives had been killed. Mexican authorities from Sonora state said Tuesday that nine people had been killed, and that four children were injured in the attack. But Mexico's Public Safety Secretary said there were six children injured and one other was possibly still missing.

Staddon said the community is home to members of the Mormon Church and members of a fundamentalist Mormon sect. She said the victims of the attack were members of the fundamentalist group.

Staddon said her nephew's wife and her four children, among them twin 4-month-old babies, died in the blaze.

She said her brother discovered the bullet-ridden vehicle still smoldering with the charred bodies inside and shot the video as evidence.

Mexican authorities described the victims:

They said bodies of one woman and four children were found inside a burned Chevrolet Tahoe.

Three more people, a woman and two children, were found dead in a white Suburban nearby.

The body of a woman was found in a second white Suburban.

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"It's devastating," Staddon said. "It's incomprehensible, the evil. I don’t understand how someone could do that."

The Security Committee of Sonora confirmed late Monday that authorities in Sonora and Chihuahua were investigating an attack that occurred earlier in the day involving a burned vehicle and the kidnapping of several people.

The Security Committee did not verify any of the deaths.

The investigation involved municipal and state police; the state attorney general's office; the army; and the National Guard, which had launched an air and land operation in the area where the incident occurred, according to a written statement provided to The Arizona Republic.

Staddon said the families may have been mistakenly targeted by warring drug cartels in the region.

On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump appeared to reference the attack in a series of tweets.

"A wonderful family and friends from Utah got caught between two vicious drug cartels, who were shooting at each other, with the result being many great American people killed, including young children, and some missing," Trump wrote in one Twitter message.

"This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!" Trump wrote in another.

This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019

The governor of Sonora, Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, said on Twitter, that as a mother she felt "deep pain" for the victims and vowed that the "cowards" would not go unpunished.

"As a mother I feel rage, repudiation and deep pain for what cowards did in the mountains between Sonora and Chihuahua," she wrote. "I don't know what kind of monsters dare to hurt women and children. As Governor, I will do everything to make sure this does not go unpunished and those responsible pay."

Como madre siento coraje, repudio y un profundo dolor por los cobardes hechos en la sierra entre Sonora y Chihuahua. No sé qué clase de monstruos se atreven a lastimar a mujeres y niños. Como Gobernadora toda mi colaboración para que no quede impune y paguen los responsables. — Claudia Pavlovich A. (@ClaudiaPavlovic) November 5, 2019

The attack happened near Rancho La Mora on the border between Sonora and Chihuahua, the Mexican newspaper el Diario, reported.

The vehicle exploded when bullets hit the gas tank, the newspaper said.

The newspaper identified the woman who died inside the vehicle as Rhonita María LeBaron.

Staddon gave the woman's name as Rhonita Miller, 33. She said Miller's four children who died inside the car were ages 8 and 10 and the 4-month-old twins, a boy and a girl.

Staddon earlier had posted a message on Facebook pleading for help from U.S. authorities to find her missing relatives, a dozen in all, after relatives in Mexico told her what had happened.

"They are doing all they can in Mexico and we need America’s help," Staddon posted. "Please help get the word out. We need to get them all back home safe also do not travel to Mexico! The mafia over Sonora and the mafia over chihuahua are in all out war right now!!!"

Authorities at the U.S. Consulate's Office in Mexico could not be immediately reached for comment.

Staddon said she learned later on Monday that her sister-in law and her cousin had been killed along with several of the children.

She said relatives in Mexico told her that after gunmen killed her sister-in-law and two children, they opened the door and saw more children and let them go.

She said her sister-in-law's oldest son, a young teenager, hid the smaller children behind a tree, then walked back to the family's ranch for help. Some of the children were wounded, Staddon said.

She identified her sister-in-law as Dawna Langford. Langford was traveling in a second vehicle with nine children.

Staddon identified her cousin as Christina Johnson. Johnson was traveling in a third vehicle with her baby, Staddon said. Johnson's baby was found alive inside the vehicle, Staddon said later.

Staddon said the three families belonged to a ranching community that has lived in the Bavispe area for more than 40 years.

Asi se vive en el Gobierno de @lopezobrador_ Mormones Mexicanos, mujeres y niños inocentes emboscados en la Sierra de Chihuahua son acribillados y quemados vivos por los Carteles que mandan en Mexico! @Javier_Corral @revistaproceso @CarlosLoret @CiroGomezL pic.twitter.com/uQNJYbeO73 — LeBaron (@AlexLebaron1) November 4, 2019

Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez.

Reporter Rafael Carranza contributed to this story.

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