Authorities Identify Murder-Suicide Victims

Authorities on Monday identified the bodies of a man and woman killed Sunday in a murder-suicide that occurred as their two young children played outside their mother’s converted garage.

Manuel Sida, 28, shot and killed 22-year-old Irma Melendez, the mother of his children, at 9:30 a.m. Sunday and then turned the gun on himself. Their 6-year-old son found the bodies, police said.

San Fernando Det. Lance Steaman said the couple had been separated for about six months. The bloodshed followed a brief discussion after Sida had gone to the woman’s garage apartment.

Steaman said Melendez’s neighbors heard multiple gunshots, but that no one heard any arguments beforehand and there were no witnesses to the shootings.

Sida had no criminal history, Steaman said, and detectives were trying to determine whether any domestic violence calls had been made from their previous addresses.

“This is the first murder we’ve had for about six months,” Steaman said. “Usually nothing happens here.”

The couple’s son and 4-year-old daughter have been placed with an aunt.