Father Prospero Serna Arrested for Murder and Child Abuse of Four Children; Two Dead, Two Injured in LA County

Suspect Prospero Serna, with a criminal history dating back to 2006, was arrested in Lancaster, California after refusing to cooperate with authorities; all four victims were his biological children, aged under 10, found with severe lacerations in their residence following a 911 call made by their mother.

• Prospero Serna, a father with a criminal history dating back to 2006, was arrested in connection with the deaths of two of his children who were found with severe lacerations at their residence. The other two of his four children, all under age 10, were found injured but are in stable condition.
• The incident began with a 911 call made by the children's mother. Serna, who was initially designated as a person of interest, refused to cooperate with authorities which delayed his booking process.
• Serna has a history of legal issues including battery on a spouse, contempt of court, and disobeying a court order. He also lost custody of his four children in 2022 due to these issues, although he was granted limited visitation rights at his mother’s home.
• Serna's pattern of behavior reportedly included threats and domestic violence, leading to the issuance of two restraining orders. One was issued in 2016 concerning the mother of his children, another in 2021 involving a man, which was later dismissed.
• Court records also indicate that Serna had been convicted of causing a fire to a structure or forest. He was active on social media where he expressed his views on various topics, including the Israel-Hamas conflict and his personal experiences with mental health authorities.

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