Woman 'Jealous' Of Younger Sister Allegedly Fatally Shoots 18-Year-Old, Her Baby While They Slept

A California woman has been arrested for allegedly fatally shooting her younger sister and the victim's 3-week-old baby while they slept, officials said Thursday.

The 22-year-old suspect, Yarelly Solorio-Rivera was taken into custody Wednesday for allegedly murdering Yanelly Soloria-Rivera and her daughter Celine Soloria-Rivera on Sept. 24.

Yarelly's boyfriend, Martin Arroyo-Morales, 26, was also arrested on two counts of premeditated murder in connection with the shooting, Law & Crime reported. Although cops had a suspicion about the couple's involvement in the killings, they were waiting to collect adequate evidence for their arrests.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crimes. Yarelly told the cops she killed the victims out of jealousy and rivalry, the police said.

"We have the murder weapon – a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun – and we have a motive – jealousy and sibling rivalry," Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said in a press conference Thursday.

On the day of the fatal shooting, emergency officers responded to the residence in southwest Fresno on a report of gunshots being fired, and found the victims unresponsive inside the bedroom. Yanelly was shot while she was in the bed holding her 3-week-old daughter, reports said.

Both Yanelly and the baby suffered gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and were pronounced dead at the scene.

"The crime left us all feeling perplexed and very angry, asking ourselves, who would do something like this – who would murder an 18-year-old mother and her 3-week-old daughter while they slept?" Balderrama said.

The officers soon determined the case was a "premeditated and intricately planned" killing. However, a breakthrough came in the case after the officials identified Arroyo-Morales from CCTV footage from the neighborhood. Arroyo-Morales is a validated gang member, the police said.

Meanwhile, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa A. Smittcamp described the case as a "horrendous crime." Smittcamp said the suspects will be filed with special circumstances murder charges against multiple victims, ABC 30 reported.

"With special circumstances murder brings the opportunity for very significant penalties. In this case, the special circumstances murder brings about the penalty of life without the possibility of parole or the potential of the death penalty," Smittcamp said at the press conference.

The suspects are held on $2 million bond in Fresno County Jail.