Double Homicide Reported In Murrieta, 1 Arrested

MURRIETA, CA — A Murrieta man is facing two charges of murder after police say they found two people dead inside their local home. Andrew Joseph Burke, 25, was arrested early Saturday morning after an hours-long standoff at the house.

It all started around 9:45 p.m. Friday when police went to do a welfare check at a house on Jonquil Circle, a cul-de-sac off Jefferson Avenue, according to the Murrieta Police Department. Police said they had received a call from a "concerned caller who was out of town and stating they were unable to get in touch with family members."

After getting no response when they got to the front door, police ultimately found two dead people inside the house. Soon, they found Burke inside as well, who was "uncooperative with the officers," police said.

Burke soon barricaded himself in part of the home, and a SWAT team was called to the scene.

"The male was ultimately taken into custody at 2:39 a.m. and the scene turned over to Detectives for further investigation," police said.

Authorities asked the public to avoid the area while detectives conducted the death investigation, and stressed that there was no danger to the community.

Jail booking records indicate Burke was taken to the French Valley jail, where he was booked on two counts of second degree murder and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $1 million and he's due to appear in court on Wednesday.

"The investigation is ongoing but appears to be domestic related and contained to the residence," police said.

These two deaths make for the second and third homicides this year in Murrieta, a town which saw two total in 2018 and one in 2017.

In July, a man killed a woman outside a local home by beating her with a log, according to police and court records.