Jose Carmen Cardona charged with arson murders of a mom and 2 boys
Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln wants victims' families to have 'justice they deserve'
Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln provides details on the arrest of the man police believe is responsible for five deaths in Stockton, Calif., on 'Lawrence Jones Cross Country.'
FIRST ON FOX: Authorities in California have arrested a thrice-deported illegal immigrant in connection with a deadly house fire that killed a mom and two of her three of her children last month, according to a law enforcement source.
Stockton police announced the arrest of Jose Carmen Cardona, 59, Friday morning.
A source with knowledge of the investigation tells Fox News Digital the suspect has been deported three times and returned to the U.S. anyway.
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Jose Carmen Cardona pictured in a booking photo after his arrest Friday on arson and murder charges in connection with a house fire that killed a mom and two young boys. (Stockton Police Department)
The victims have been identified as Lisbeth Gutierrez-Salazar, 32, and her two sons, Juan Gutierrez-Salazr, 10, and Julian Cardona-Gutierrez, 7. A third boy whose name was not immediately released is the only one who escaped.
They were all asleep in their mobile home when Cardona allegedly set it on fire.
Cardona was dating the mother, but he was not the father of the children, police said.
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Stockton police officers discuss a case outside a pair of parked cruisers in this file photo. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He fled the area and police requested help from the U.S. Marshal Service after obtaining an arrest warrant on June 28, according to authorities.
A nationwide manhunt came to an end Friday with his capture in Modesto, about 30 miles away from the crime scene.
Jose Carmen Cardona, a 59-year-old Hispanic male, was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail for homicide. (Stockton Police Department)
Cardona faces charges of murder, attempted murder and child endangerment, as well as special circumstances allegations of multiple murder, arson and torture, which make him eligible for the death penalty.
Authorities were expected to deliver an update on the case Friday afternoon.
He is due in court Monday for arraignment.
In the meantime, he's being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp, California.
The San Joaquin District Attorney's Office at 2 p.m. PDT or 5 p.m. EST.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
