A devastated family is speaking out after an online catfishing scheme led to three killings in Southern California last week.
The attack occurred after a 28-year-old former Virginia state trooper, identified by police as Austin Lee Edwards, contacted an unnamed teenage girl online, according to a press release from the Riverside Police Department.
Police said Edwards “catfished” the teen, meaning he pretended to be somebody else online or via text, to form a relationship with her and obtain personal information.
He then allegedly drove from Virginia to Riverside and, the day after Thanksgiving, entered the teen’s home and killed her grandparents and mother. The victims were identified as Mark Winek, 69, Sharie Winek, 65, and Brooke Winek, 38.
Mychelle Blandin, a daughter of Mark and Sharie Winek, spoke out about the tragedy in a tearful press conference.
“Parents. Please. Please! Know your child’s online activity. Ask questions about what they are doing and whom they are talking to,” Blandin said. “Anybody can say they’re someone else. And you could be in this situation which I do not want for the world.”
A fire was later discovered at the residence where the Winek family members died. While police say they are still investigating the cause of the house fire, they said “it appears at this point to have been intentionally ignited.”
After the three family members were killed, Edwards drove off with the teen girl, police said. Authorities found him several hours later in Kelso, California. A shootout occurred and Edwards died at the scene, police said.
The teen girl was not physically harmed but was receiving trauma counseling, the family said.
Blandin pleaded with parents to be aware of their children’s online activity.
“If something like this horrific tragedy can happen here, in our neighborhood, in our community, it can happen anywhere,” she said.
“Please use us as a reference. Tell our story to help your parenting,” she added. “Not out of fear but out of (an) example of something that did happen.”
The FBI has shared tips for protecting children from online predators. These include staying aware of all apps, websites and games used by children, using privacy setting to restrict kids’ access to the internet, and educating children about the risks of communicating with others online.