Bodies Of 2 Children Found Near Ranch With Several Stab Wounds; Father Arrested

A man from California has been taken into custody on suspicion of killing his two children whose bodies were found with multiple stab wounds near a ranch in Mexico.

The bodies of Matthew Taylor Coleman's 1-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were found near El Descanso Ranch between Tijuana and Ensenada. Both children had several stab wounds that were consistent with a wooden stake recovered nearby, reported CBS 8.

Investigation revealed Coleman, 40, and his children had checked into a hotel on the Tijuana-Ensenada Freeway Sunday. At around 3 a.m. Monday, Coleman left the hotel along with his children and returned alone three hours later. He left the hotel again at 9.30 a.m.

The suspect was apprehended Tuesday when he was crossing into California from Tijuana via the San Ysidro checkpoint.

In a press conference held Tuesday, Prosecutor Hiram Sánchez Zamora of Baja California said the girl had been stabbed 12 times while her brother appeared to have been stabbed 17 times, according to SF Gate.

It was also revealed that Coleman's wife had reported her husband and children missing saying, she was concerned for their well-being.

The suspect owned a surf school in Santa Barbara and had reportedly completed his master's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Coleman remained in federal custody as authorities on both sides of the border were investigating the incident and working to return the bodies of the children to California.

"The FBI is working with police in Santa Barbara following a report they received about three missing persons - one adult male and his two children who are believed to have crossed the southern border into Mexico. A joint investigation is underway among the Santa Barbara Police Department, the FBI in Los Angeles and San Diego, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican authorities. Currently, the adult male is in federal custody and the investigation is continuing," an FBI officer in Los Angeles said as per CBS 8.

Coleman could be extradited to Mexico to face charges and may be sentenced to 60 years imprisonment in a Mexican prison if found guilty of murder.