The woman seen on screen, sharing her testimony of how the Lord changed her life, is Filipina Maria Celeste Montecillo.

She is reportedly from Cagayan de Oro City but has resided in California for several decades.

Maria eventually married an American, and their love produced two sons, whom they named Matthew and Andrew.

Like any other marriage, she and her husband often fought like cats and dogs.

Everything changed when they both found the Lord in 2015.

However, Maria shared that the trials in their lives did not stop when they became born-again Christians.

In fact, things worsened when her husband passed away in 2018.

Despite the intense pain she experienced from the loss of the man she had loved for decades, with the help of the Bible, her church community, and her friends, her faith in the Lord did not waver.

Instead, it grew stronger. When she had the chance, she did everything to share her faith with her children.

Although it was difficult to be alone, Maria managed to raise them well, and both graduated from high school.

When Matthew came of age, Maria allowed him to move out because he wanted to prove he could live independently.

As a loving mother, though she couldn’t stop worrying, she made sure to always offer him food or financial help when Matthew visited.

Due to the high cost of living in California and Matthew’s modest salary, there was hardly anything left of his paycheck.

To have money for food and other things like the gym, Matthew worked two jobs.

Maria recounted in an interview that her son once mentioned that after receiving his salary and paying all his bills, he celebrated because he still had $50 left in his bank account.

Despite her worries, Maria was happy that he was doing everything to be independent.

So, when November came, she did everything to celebrate his 21st birthday. Mother and son had a simple celebration, and after the birthday dinner, Matthew went home to his apartment.

The Final Goodbye

Unbeknownst to her, that would be the last time she would see her son alive, as he would become the victim of a brutal crime.

Based on reports, in the early hours of November 16, 2024, just days after they celebrated Matthew’s birthday, a sleeping Maria was awakened by the incessant ringing of her cellphone.

When she answered the call, her world collapsed. The person on the other line said she needed to rush to the hospital because Matthew was fighting for his life.

She quickly changed her clothes and drove to the hospital.

However, the doctors informed her that due to the severity of his condition, although they had treated his injuries, Matthew had no brain activity.

The experts said they could not promise he would ever wake up from his coma.

So, with a heavy heart, Maria decided to remove her son’s life support.

As a final act of respect for his wish, which was indicated on his driver’s license, the young man’s organs were donated to those in need.

People could not believe what had happened, but they would be even more shocked to learn that it was not just Matthew who had perished; three other people had also lost their lives.

The Lancaster Home

To understand everything and avoid confusion about the people involved, we must start the story at this house.

It is located on North Tabler Avenue in Lancaster. For people who want to save money, Lancaster is a perfect place because it is much cheaper than living in Los Angeles.

When news outlets in the Philippines caught wind of what happened to Matthew, even before any information about the motive or perpetrator was released, many Filipinos claimed that Lancaster was a dangerous place to live.

They alleged that the government of California was dumping criminals and drug addicts there.

To find out if there was any truth to this, I turned to the perfect place for a personal point of view: Reddit.

A testimony from an American who lives in Lancaster confirmed that there are indeed many homeless people and drug users there.

However, in his two decades of living there, he had never been a victim of any crime because he was smart and observant of his surroundings.

He learned which streets to avoid so he wouldn’t be harassed or robbed, and he learned to read people to know who to trust.

He also advised that if you live in Lancaster, you should never leave your car or garage unlocked.

He also warned against leaving any belongings outside, like a bicycle, because it could disappear in an instant.

But despite the chaos, he said that as long as you know how to distinguish good people from bad, you can find a good community.

The Five Roommates

Those positive reasons were why Matthew chose to live in an apartment there with his boyfriend, John V. Makindang, who was also Filipino.

Living with them were 24-year-old Fernando Garcia and his 26-year-old fiancée, Christine Ama, who was John V.’s sister.

The fifth roommate was a 16-year-old girl, Christine’s sister.

For the five of them, who were doing everything to survive the high cost of living in California, they believed that as long as they were careful and vigilant, they would eventually have a peaceful life.

Fernando’s family supported his decision. The young man was described as a gentle soul and was always the one you could talk to at a party.

Fernando would let you talk about your problems without any judgment.

According to his mother, Yermy, her son dreamed of becoming a teacher. Having witnessed their family’s hardships, Fernando was determined to finish his studies.

His life improved even more when he found inspiration. They were all happy for him when he introduced his Filipina girlfriend, Christine.

Yermy shared that she immediately liked the Pinay because of her kindness and the love she showed her son.

Based on her professional profile, Christine attended Antelope Valley College while working as a manager at Yogurtland.

After graduating, she worked for over a year as a medical scribe, and her last job was as an executive assistant.

It was reported that Christine’s family was from Bohol.

While Filipinos often think that one’s life improves upon reaching another country, that is not always the case.

In contrast to a “chill” life in the Philippines, Christine had to work doubly hard because she was the acting mother and father to her three younger siblings.

There are no reports on why they were in California alone, but it is clear that if no adult had taken responsibility for the minors, the local government would have intervened and sent them to foster homes.

Despite the hardship, Christine proudly took on the responsibility, and she was granted legal guardianship of her siblings.

This meant she had the sole right to make decisions for them until they turned 18.

Besides her busy life at work and with her siblings, Christine did not forget to take care of herself.

When she was not working, she could be seen at the gym or enjoying the beach with her siblings and friends.

When she and Fernando got together, Christine was fully accepted by the Olivares family.

In August 2022, while the two were doing everything to reach their goals, Fernando proposed to the Pinay.

Photos show the two sharing that they were engaged. To save on expenses, the newly engaged couple decided to live together under one roof, along with John V., Matthew, her younger sister, and their four dogs.

For several years, they lived safely, and none ofthem experienced any crime. But all that changed in an instant.

The 911 Call and the Fire

Based on reports, a 911 dispatcher radioed the nearest police officers, who arrived at 12:27 AM on November 16, 2024, at the house Christine and the others were renting.

They immediately noticed that the entire house was engulfed in flames.

As three officers entered the house, the firefighters arrived at the scene.

While the firefighters battled the blaze, the authorities managed to pull three people out of the house.

Medics who also responded quickly administered first aid. As the crowd grew, two officers were seen pulling two more people from the house.

Despite their attempts to save them, three of the five were immediately declared dead at the scene.

One of them had no visible injuries, while another was rushed to the hospital, alive but in critical condition.

To protect the ongoing investigation, it took five days before authorities released any information, including the names and identities of the victims.

On November 21, 2024, the public learned that Edwin (Fernando Garcia), Christine, and John V. were the three pronounced dead at the scene.

Matthew was the one rushed to the hospital, but due to the severe brain damage, his mother, Maria, later decided to remove his oxygen support, and he became an organ donor.

The Suspect

In an interview, the lieutenant assured the public they should not worry as the situation was under control.

This meant the incident was not random; the victims were targeted and knew the suspect personally.

Four days after the interview, this man, identified as Miguel Diego Sandoval, 22, appeared in court as the suspected perpetrator of the massacre.

He was charged with four counts of murder and six other felony charges.

Due to the severity of the crime, the judge did not allow him to post bail. Because the court documents were sealed, no one knew the motive.

However, in an interview, Matthew’s mother gave a clue as to what really happened.

She shared that Sandoval was the ex-boyfriend of Christine’s younger sister.

It was not reported why the two broke up, but it was clear the suspect did not take the separation well.

Sandoval repeatedly tried to win back his ex-girlfriend, but the young woman was determined to move on with her life and focus on her studies.

A Crime of Vengeance

The perpetrator, however, became obsessed, constantly thinking about how he could get revenge.

On the night of November 15, 2024, a Friday, while others were out partying, Matthew and his roommates chose to rest, tired from work and school.

Based on the details of the 911 call, the 16-year-old girl woke up to the sound of successive gunshots.

Terrified, she quickly hid inside a closet and called 911.

According to authorities, almost all the victims felt no pain, as Sandoval shot them while they were fast asleep.

The four dogs, who tried to warn their owners by barking, were also killed by the assailant.

When he could not find his ex-girlfriend, Sandoval set the house on fire and quickly fled.

However, because there was a survivor, he was immediately pursued and apprehended just a few hours later.

Authorities shared that the suspect’s actions were those of a man who could not accept rejection.

The Aftermath

Overwhelmed by anger and hatred, he likely thought that if he could not have his ex, no one else could, so he preferred to dispatch her.

People quickly showed their support for the families of the four victims by giving financial aid through the GoFundMe pages set up for them.

A video taken inside the hospital during Matthew’s final moments, known as an “honor walk,” showed hospital staff and his family paying their last respects.

Matthew was called a hero because his death became the means to extend the lives of others.

By donating his organs, Maria said the suspect did not succeed in taking her son’s life, because for her, he is still alive every time she sees the people who received his organs.

The mother of Christine and John V., who immediately flew to California, was emotional upon seeing the bodies of her children.

Like the other two families, they continue to pray for the justice they deserve.

As of this recording, no date has been set for the trial.