Arrests made in investigation of 6 bodies found in remote California desert

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say arrests have been made in the investigation surrounding six bodies found last week at a remote dirt crossroads in the Southern California desert.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said a press conference will be held late Monday on the homicide investigation. She shared no additional details. The department hasn’t said how the people died.

Authorities found the bodies in the Mojave Desert outside El Mirage last week after responding to a request for a wellness check. Five bodies were found late Tuesday and a sixth the following morning.

The area, some 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Los Angeles, is so remote that the sheriff’s department called in help from the California Highway Patrol’s Aviation Division to find the scene.

Overhead footage from TV stations last week showed a dark blue SUV with a passenger window blown out and another door open, with part of the image blurred. The footage also showed numerous yellow evidence markers in the scrubby desert.