New details released in Merced County arrest of man who later killed daughters in Sacramento

New details have been released about the Feb. 22 arrest of a 39-year-old man in Merced County, who this week went on a shooting rampage that killed four people in Sacramento — including three of his daughters.

David Mora, who is also identified as David Fidel Mora-Rojas, was taken into custody Feb. 22 after the vehicle he was driving got stuck in a field in the Los Banos area, according to a California Highway Patrol report of the incident.

The CHP said a call was placed to the Merced Communication Center around 3:35 p.m. about a suspicious vehicle that had been observed speeding.

A Sacramento resident, Mora was driving southbound on Ward Road, south of Cotton Road, in a 2013 Kia Rio when his car left the roadway and entered a field of dirt and mud, where it became stuck, the CHP said.

A CHP officer arrived and met Mora outside the Kia. The CHP said Mora displayed signs and symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to the CHP, an altercation between Mora and the officer ensued.

Mora allegedly struck and tried to gain control over the officer during the altercation.

Additional CHP officers and Merced County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, and Mora was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and assaulting a peace officer.

After Mora was taken to Memorial Hospital in Los Banos for evaluation, he allegedly assaulted an emergency worker.

Mora was later booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, battery against a peace officer and resisting, according to authorities.

According to Merced County Sheriff’s Deputy Daryl Allen, Mora posted bail and was released from custody on Feb. 24.

Daughters killed in shooting rampage

In the wake of Monday’s deadly mass shooting, hundreds of people have combined to donate more than $20,000 toward funeral expenses for the three sisters killed at the Arden Arcade church in the Sacramento area.

Family and the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the three girls as 13-year-old Samia, 10-year-old Samantha and 9-year-old Samarah Mora Gutierrez.

Sheriff’s officials said Mora, shot and killed his three daughters during a supervised visit Monday evening at The Church in Sacramento on Wyda Way.

Authorities say Mora also fatally shot 59-year-old Nathaniel Kong, a family friend and employee of The Church who was supervising the visit, before turning the gun on himself.

A crowdfunding page set up Tuesday evening on GoFundMe by Jovana Venegas, who said the three girls were her nieces, had raised more than $22,000 toward its $30,000 goal by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Venegas wrote that the sisters “deserve more than anything to at last rest in peace.”

Coroner’s officials identified the three girls as Woodland residents, but they attended school in the Natomas Unified School District. Two of the girls went to Bannon Creek School, and the other attended Leroy Greene Academy, district officials said.

A few who left messages along with their donations on the GoFundMe page identified themselves as teachers at Natomas Unified, some of whom knew the sisters personally.

“They were amazing students who loved learning and loved school,” wrote Jennifer Souza, whose bio on the district website says she is a third-grade teacher at Two Rivers Elementary School. “They had plans, hopes and dreams that I spoke about with them often - now all snuffed out.”

Community members held a candlelight vigil Tuesday at the church, mourning the family and sharing support for the neighborhood church.

Some who attended spoke of how the tragedy illustrates the horrors of domestic violence.

Court records show that Mora was the subject of a five-year domestic violence restraining order ordering him to stay at least 100 yards away from the three girls and their mother, except for during supervised visits with his daughters of up to four hours.

He was also legally barred from owning a firearm due to the restraining order.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 12:30 PM with the headline "New details released in Merced County arrest of man who later killed daughters in Sacramento."