Home of Sonoma family killed in crash burglarized

SONOMA, CA (KGO) -- The police chief of Sonoma says in all his years as a cop, he has never seen something so despicable. Sometime Monday night, burglars broke into the now empty home of the family that died over the weekend in a car accident.

Friends and relatives were already grieving the deaths of the Maloney family.

John and Susan and their two young children, Aiden and Grace, were killed Saturday night at Lakeville Road and Highway 37 in Sonoma.

A speeding car driven by 19-year-old Steven Culbertson rammed into the Maloney's minivan, killing all four members of the family.

Culbertson died later at a hospital.

Then Tuesday morning, Sonoma police received a 911 call.

"We received a call from one of the neighbors who said that the Maloney's home had been broken into overnight," Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett said.

Police believe there was more than one burglar who ransacked the empty home.

"There was damage to the home, things had been turned over, drawers had been opened and emptied," Sackett said. "People who were responsible probably knew the home was vacant."

The thieves also stole the Maloney's car out of their driveway.

No one can believe someone would do such a cruel, unconscionable thing.

"People are, I don't want to say it; it's said to easily, but some people are monsters," Sonoma resident Dick Comfort said. "That's really tragic; I can't understand that, I'm sorry."

"I've doing this job almost 20 years and you think you've seen everything but this is a new low for me," Sackett said.

Police are on the lookout for the Maloney's car, a 2006 silver Nissan 350Z, license plate number 5XOH067.

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car crash, sonoma, crime, highway 37, north bay news, vic lee

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