The man accused of stabbing his three sons to death inside an SUV parked in South LA last month had previously been investigated for reports he was abusing the children, according to newly released documents.
According to the redacted file released Thursday afternoon, Luiz Fuentes, 33, had been investigated several times going back to 2008 for allegations of physical and emotional abuse as well as general neglect.
The Department of Children and Family Services investigated the allegations, but the findings were inconclusive.
At one point in the report, the allegations were deemed “aggressive” and that the situation was high-risk.
It also references potential emotional abuse against one of the three boys by a stepmother.
The boys were previously identified as Luis Alfanso Fuentes, 10, Juan Daniel Fuentes, 9, and Alexander Fuentes, 8.
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The three boys were found dead in the back seat, while the father was found bloodied and suffering from stab wounds, police said.
Luiz Fuentes has been charged with three counts of murder that include the special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders, making him eligible for a possible death sentence, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek death.
The biological mother of the boys is believed to have died previously, and that their father was their primary caregiver.
Family members said soon after the stabbings that they were shocked to learn from police that the father allegedly killed his sons.
"He loved his kids and it's hard for me to see him do something like this. It's unbelievable. I don't know what drove him to do something like this," said Rene Chanquin, the father's cousin.
