KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Three people have been arrested in connection to the “heinous quadruple homicide” of the Careaga family in 2017, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) announced Monday.
The KCSO said three suspects were arrested on felony warrants Monday morning during a “multi-agency operation.” The suspects were identified as a 43-year-old man from Bremerton, a 50-year-old man from Gig Harbor and a 49-year-old man from Bremerton.
The KCSO said the warrants list 16 different felony charges for each suspect ranging from first-degree aggravated murder, first-degree murder, first-degree arson and first-degree burglary.
All three suspects were booked into the Kitsap County Jail and held on $20 million bail.
“We are extremely pleased with today’s arrests and know firsthand the dedication and hard work shown to this case by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s office” Kelly Smith, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle Office, said in a statement. “The work will continue, but this is the first step in resolving the tragic events surrounding this five-year investigation.”
Three members of the Careaga family were killed on Jan. 27, 2017. Christale Careaga and two of the 16-year-old boys in her blended family, Jonathon Higgins and Hunter Schaap, were found dead inside their burned-out home.
Two days later, on Jan. 29, Christale’s husband, John Careaga, was found shot to death inside his burned Ford F-150 pick-up truck.
Task force investigators are asking that anyone with information about the killings call and speak with detectives. Information can be submitted to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at FBI.gov. The public is asked to reference the Careaga homicides when submitting a tip.
The three suspects are expected to be arraigned at the Kitsap County Courthouse on Tuesday.
In Jan. 2020, KCSO detectives linked the murders to a notorious motorcycle club and said members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club were directly involved in the killings. At the time, investigators named a 41-year-old man associated with the Bandidos as a person of interest in the case.
Authorities said more information about the case and arrests will be released during a 1 p.m. press conference Tuesday. KING 5 will stream the press conference inside this story, on the free KING 5 mobile app and on the KING 5 YouTube page.