KFSN -- Two children who were taken from their home in Kings County have been found safe after their mother was killed earlier this week. The Kings County Sheriff's Office says a two-year-old girl and a three-year-old girl were taken from the home by their father, year-old Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz. Maldonado-Cruz is suspected of shooting and killing the girls' mother, year-old Madeline Rose Cuevas, in the home near Fourth Place and Orchard Drive.
Detectives believe the shooting happened sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The young mother's body wasn't found until 4 pm Tuesday, giving Maldonado-Cruz about a hour head start on authorities.
The sheriff's office worked with authorities in Mexico and Maldonado-Cruz's mother to negotiate with him about returning the girls. Maldonado-Cruz was taken into custody and the girls returned with sheriff's deputies Thursday afternoon.
Despite what they've endured, law enforcement says the girls were in good spirits. Cuevas' father, Joel, says the safe return of his granddaughters after an agonizing two days without them means the world to him.
Nothing can bring my daughter back. I came to terms with that already," said Joel. I want to thank everybody involved in the prayers, it worked. Cuevas' family has created a GoFundMe to help provide care for her daughters. Stay with ABC30 for the latest details on this developing story. In all other locations, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at Welcome, Mickey.
