A Sacramento family of four was discovered dead inside their Rancho Cordova home on Tuesday in what investigators have determined was a murder-suicide, ending the lives of two young children and their parents in a tragedy that has stunned neighbors in this quiet suburban neighborhood.
David Edward Vallerga Jr., 58, his wife Lindsey Peralta Vallerga, 49, and their children—a 13-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter—were found with gunshot wounds inside the Mill Water Circle home after police received a chilling phone call from someone claiming to be the shooter.
Less than five minutes after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots and screaming, Vallerga called 911, provided his address, and stated he was “the shooter,” according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. He also warned that he had installed “booby traps” inside the residence.
“We have received an additional call from someone identifying themselves as the shooter and stating that they had also placed some booby traps at the location,” Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sergeant Edward Igoe said at a press conference.
Deputies responded with extreme caution. SWAT teams deployed two armored BearCat vehicles and a smaller armored vehicle known as the Rook to breach the rear fence and sliding glass door. A drone launched into the residence revealed four bodies inside the home. No evidence of booby traps was ultimately discovered.
“Based upon the investigation, including evidence at the scene and witness statements, detectives believe this was a murder-suicide at the male subject’s hand,” the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office stated.
Investigators found Vallerga unresponsive, holding a pistol in his right hand with a second pistol beneath his body. Deputies seized 14 firearms from the home and recovered multiple shell casings from two different calibers that matched the weapons found at the scene. Authorities confirmed Vallerga had prior military experience.
The revelation shocked neighbors in the Kavala Ranch community, a family-friendly neighborhood south of Anatolia. Allisha Crockett, who lived across the street from the family for five years, placed flowers outside the home Wednesday. “Just to bring some flowers and offer some light and some love,” she said.
Crockett fondly remembered watching the neighborhood children play together in the cul-de-sac. “They all played together, and that’s something that just shook and jarred my heart, the impact of the children that are still in this cul-de-sac,” she said. “These are their friends. These are their people.”
The family homeschooled their children and operated two tutoring franchise businesses under the GradePower Learning brand. The husband and wife ran the tutoring businesses from their family residence, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Neighbors described the children as creative and engaged. The kids raised chickens in their backyard and would welcome new neighbors with baskets of fresh eggs. “They painted, made jewelry, and invented their own games, including unique takes on tag and capture the flag,” one neighbor recalled. “They loved make-believe and were always actively engaged in play together.”
Emily Autenrieth, who owns A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove near the family’s tutoring center, remembered Lindsey as “a wonderful neighbor.” She added: “The kids were always so sweet. Lindsay’s son was really into manga recently. Lindsey was a wonderful supporter of our business and mission.”
However, not all memories of David Vallerga painted such a rosy picture. One neighbor with a military background told The Daily Mail he had heard the father yelling at his family at night while walking his dog. The neighbor recalled hearing David shout “I’m going to F you up” at his wife on at least one occasion.
Investigators noted there was no prior history of domestic violence calls associated with the address, a detail that has added to the shock surrounding the case.
Cameron Daughtry, who lives in the Rancho Cordova neighborhood, told KCRA: “It’s quiet for the most part. You’ll see people walking their dogs, running. For the most part, we don’t have any loud parties going on here and stuff like that. And it’s very quiet. Everybody’s friendly and peaceful. So to see this, it’s wild.”
David Vallerga’s Facebook page showed what appeared to be a devoted father engaged in everyday activities with his children. He posted photos of family outings, including trips to Costco with his daughter and boys’ nights with his son. In one December 5 post, he wrote about forcing his kids to watch “Rouldoph (sic) the Red Nose Reindeer on broadcast television, with commercials.”
One particularly chilling post showed David posing with his daughter and what appeared to be a toy gun, with the caption: “Sydney learning trigger control from Daddy…”
Lindsey’s Facebook activity continued until what appears to be January 23, just four days before the murders. On Friday, she changed her cover photo to an image of the family’s tutoring business.
Sergeant Igoe addressed the emotional toll on first responders: “A response to something of this magnitude is always extremely difficult. And honestly, as an agency, our prayers are with friends and families of those involved today. And God bless them.”
The community has rallied in the wake of the tragedy. A community grief support gathering is planned for Thursday, January 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. at A Seat at the Table Books to honor the lives of the victims.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the coroner working to formally identify all four victims and determine the exact sequence of events that led to the deaths of two children whose lives had barely begun.