Miguel Diego Sandoval, 21, has pleaded guilty to the 2024 murders of four individuals and the subsequent arson of their Lancaster home, a crime motivated by a jilted lover's revenge. Sandoval entered his guilty plea on Friday, admitting to first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations for multiple murders and lying in wait.
Sandoval, who was 19 at the time of the killings, now faces a life sentence. According to authorities, he lingered outside the victims' North Tabler Avenue residence on November 16, waiting until the occupants were asleep. He then broke into the home and fatally shot Janvi Maquindang, 21, Christine Aca-ac, 25, Edwin Garcia, 24, and Matthew Montebello, 21, as they slept.
"This was a calculated act of violence that left a void for the victims' families that can never be filled. Rest assured this guilty plea will result in a lifetime prison sentence," stated Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. Former DA George Gascón had previously described the victims as being "callously shot as they peacefully slept in their beds."
Christine Aca-ac and her fiancé Edwin Garcia were among the deceased. Janvi Maquindang and his boyfriend Matthew Montebello were also killed in the attack. The motive for the violence was a romantic fallout between Sandoval and an unnamed male family member of the victims, according to investigators.
After the shootings, Sandoval set fire to the house in an attempt to destroy evidence. Three dogs were also killed during the incident before the fire was set. The DA's office noted that the defendant "did something unimaginable when he killed four innocent people."
During the blaze, a 16-year-old girl was trapped in a locked bedroom. She managed to call 911, which led to her rescue by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.
Sandoval also pleaded guilty to additional charges, including attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary, arson of an inhabited property, three counts of animal cruelty, and two counts of child abuse under conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.