Grandma stabbed to death in front of family during violent rampage in the High Desert

A grandmother was stabbed to death in front of her family during an attack in Southern California's High Desert that also left her attacker dead and two others injured. 

Ladale Sanders, 21, stabbed and killed 49-year-old Maria Flores at the family’s apartment Sunday night in Victorville, according to investigators.

His motives are unclear, but Flores’ daughter, who wished to be identified only as Natalie, said she saw Sanders stab her mother to death “for no reason.” 

Updated Article: Man opens fire to stop deadly Victorville rampage

“We don't know this kid. I never met this kid,” Natalie said.

Flores, Natalie’s mother, was a loving mother of seven and a grandmother seven. “She loved helping others. She was just the best person in the world to me,” Natalie said.

The family had just arrived at their home at the Pebble Beach apartment complex in Victorville after celebrating Flores’ granddaughter’s birthday. When they tried to get to their apartment, Natalie said that Sanders was blocking the stairs. 

“He was just on his phone. He didn't budge when I said, ‘Excuse me,’” she said.

The family — Natalie, her 4-year-old son, and Flores — stepped over Sanders, but when Natalie’s boyfriend tried to get past him, Sanders turned violent, she said. 

Natalie saw a “chunky hammer” in Sanders’ hand, and he repeatedly struck her boyfriend.

“I was begging him. ‘Please stop. I'm going to call the cops, stop. What are you doing?’” she said, but “He kept chasing him. I just felt so helpless.” 

Natalie’s 60-year-old neighbor brought out a gun and fired two shots into the air in an attempt to scare Sanders, but Natalie said Sanders “did not care.”

Moments later, when the attacker dropped the hammer, Natalie threw it out of reach. She grabbed her son and told her mother and boyfriend to head to the car so that they could get to safety.

Sanders approached the family, holding a large knife, Natalie said, and he grabbed Flores by her neck.

“He starts stabbing her, and I ran halfway toward her. The mother in me says, ‘I have my son in my arms. I can't,’” Natalie said. 

After stabbing Flores, Natalie said that Sanders broke into the 60-year-old neighbor’s apartment and tried to stab him. The neighbor open fired, but “the gunshots did nothing to him. He still kept trying to stab him,” Natalie said. 

Eventually, she said that the neighbor was able to get the knife out of Sanders’ hand but that the neighbor had to stab Sanders for his own safety.

As Natalie and her family try to understand why this happened, they created an online fundraiser to help pay for Flores’ funeral. 

Natalie said that her neighbor is being treated for stab wounds at a hospital and her boyfriend is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.