Man Accused of Killing His 4 Children, Mother-in-Law Often Posted About Living Religiously

A California man who apparently made several religious posts on Facebook has been charged with killing his four young children and mother-in-law, prosecutors said.

Germarcus Lamar David, 29, was expected to appear in court on Tuesday, but his arraignment was postponed to Wednesday. The Associated Press reported that he is facing five counts of murder and three counts of assault on a child causing death.

Authorities have not specified a motive, and have yet to detail what they learned when they interviewed David and his wife, who discovered her families' bodies Sunday night.

What appeared to be David's Facebook page contained lots of religious imagery and posts.

"The love I give will overflow from one heart to the next as a gift that keeps giving. I will be one of the reasons that others believe in the true goodness of this world," David posted on Oct. 27, adding "THAT is what I want my legacy to be. THAT is what I want my children to grow up seeing."

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office identified the deceased as: Ericka England, 51; Namyiah David, 11; Germarcus David Jr., 7; Kaden David, 2; and Noah David, 19 months.

"No family should endure this type of tragedy, especially when the alleged perpetrator was responsible for their protection," District Attorney George Gascón said in a news release.

David turned himself in to Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies within minutes of his wife arriving home in Lancaster and discovering the grisly scene. He is currently jailed on $2 million bail.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

England was babysitting her grandchildren the day they were killed. The coroner's office has not yet completed autopsies on the victims but authorities previously said they were shot in the upper torso and died at the scene.

Grace Beltran, who lives three houses away from the family, said a woman ran back and forth in their front yard, screaming, "My babies are gone! They're all dead!"

"To do this to the kids, it's cowardly. It's just unbelievable," Waki Jones, who worked with the family through his Lancaster day care service, told Los Angeles Times.

Sheriff's Lt. Brandon Dean said he wasn't aware of any previous reports of domestic violence at the home and David did not have any restraining orders against him. Investigators have interviewed David and his wife but Dean declined to discuss what they told detectives.

England had been a state corrections officer since 1997 and currently worked at the state prison in Lancaster, according to the union that represents corrections officers.

"We are heartbroken to learn about this tragedy and we will do everything we can to support her family," said Glen Stailey, president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. "We are in mourning for our friend and colleague."

David was a licensed security guard and held a permit to carry a gun but it expired in August 2020 and was listed as canceled, according to records from the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, which regulates the private security industry.

The killings happened in a neighborhood of tidy, modern homes, some decorated for Christmas.

James Martin, 32, who lives nearby, said the deaths broke his heart.

"I don't understand it," he said. "I know things get rough but it's never worth it to take the life — lives — of anybody."