'Heard his mother yelling': Teen watches his mom and brothers, ages 10 and 7, die in fire set by her ex-boyfriend a day after they broke up

Insets, top: Jose Carmen Cardona (Stockton Police). Bottom, from left: Lizbeth Gutierrez-Salazar, Juan Gutierrez-Salazar and Julian Cardona-Gutierrez (San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office). Background: Trailer in Stockton, California, Cardona set on fire, killing three people (KXTV).

A California man who was upset he got dumped by his girlfriend broke into her father's home and set it on fire, killing her and her two sons ages 7 and 10.

Jose Carmen Cardona pleaded guilty on Monday to three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of attempted murder, child abuse, arson and vandalism, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said. That same day, he was sentenced to life in prison for killing Lizbeth Gutierrez-Salazar, 32, and her sons Juan Gutierrez-Salazar, 10, and Julian Cardona-Gutierrez, 7.

Gutierrez-Salazar dumped Cardona after two years of dating on June 24, 2024. After Cardona threatened to kill her, Gutierrez-Salazar took her three sons to her father's trailer in Stockton, California, where they spent the night.

At 6:17 a.m. the next day, the Stockton Fire Department responded to a fire. After they put out the blaze, firefighters found Gutierrez-Salazar, Juan and Julian dead inside. Gutierrez-Salazar's surviving son, then 14, told investigators he was sleeping when he was awakened by a noise. He saw Cardona inside the home.

"As he ran after him, he heard his mother yelling and saw the home engulfed in flames," prosecutors wrote. "The fire also spread to an adjacent residence, causing additional property damage."

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Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Cardona days later, after the fire was deemed arson and identified Cardona as the suspect. Authorities arrested Cardona on July 11, 2024.

"Today, we have secured a measure of justice for Lizbeth Gutierrez-Salazar and her two innocent young sons, Juan and Julian, whose lives were brutally taken in an act of unimaginable cruelty while they slept in their own home," San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said in a statement. "While no sentence can ever bring back this devoted mother and her children or erase the pain inflicted on their surviving family, the defendant's decision to accept responsibility provides an immediate and final resolution in this case and ensures he will face severe, permanent consequences for these heinous crimes. At the request of the victims' family, we respected their wishes in reaching this conclusion. Our hearts remain with them as they continue to grieve, and we will always stand ready to hold accountable those who commit such violence against the most vulnerable among us."