More Clues Sought in 3 Slayings

Armed with a search warrant, Ventura County sheriff’s detectives Thursday returned to the upscale Santa Rosa Valley home where three young boys were fatally shot earlier this week in hopes of gathering additional evidence.

Authorities suspect that Socorro “Cora” Caro, 42, the wife of a prominent Northridge doctor, fatally shot her three sons in the head as they slept before turning the gun on herself Monday night.

Killed were Christopher Caro, 5; Michael Caro, 8, and Joseph Caro, 11. The couple’s 13-month-old son was unharmed.

Detectives spent much of Thanksgiving scouring the Caros’ 4,800-square-foot hilltop home searching for more evidence. They declined to say what they were looking for, adding only that after two days of reviewing evidence, they determined that other items needed to be collected.

“Some things that may not have seemed important at the time, they’ve now decided to go back and collect based on additional information,” said Eric Nishimoto, spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

Xavier Caro told authorities he arrived home from his office about 11:20 p.m. Monday to find his mortally wounded children in their beds and his injured but conscious wife in the couple’s master bedroom. A .38-caliber revolver lay nearby, authorities said.

The couple had been having some marital difficulties but nothing out of the ordinary, relatives and police investigators said.

But those who knew Cora Caro said she had violent mood swings and that she sometimes joked about being on medications, including the anti-depressant Prozac, and the tranquilizer Xanax.

Investigators are running toxicology tests on Caro to determine what, if any, prescription medications may have been in her system on the night of the shootings. The results won’t be back for several weeks, officials said.

Caro has been recovering from a gunshot wound to her head at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. Since undergoing surgery to remove bullet fragments from her skull, Caro has been listed in serious but stable condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Caro received her first hospital visitor since the shooting when her mother arrived at her room Wednesday night. Hospital officials said Caro’s husband and other relatives have called to check on her condition. A priest at the couple’s Camarillo church says he has also called the hospital asking for permission to see the woman.

“We’re reaching out to both sides right now,” said Father Jarlath Dolan, administrator for Padre Serra Church. “Our stand is that we have to be there for both, irrespective of their place in this tragedy.”

Detectives have not been back to the hospital since trying to interview Caro on Wednesday morning. Authorities said she has refused to talk to investigators and demanded to see an attorney even before she underwent surgery.

Xavier Caro, however, is continuing to cooperate with investigators, authorities said.

A rosary vigil for the boys is scheduled at Padre Serra Church at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A Mass will be said Wednesday at 10 a.m.

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This story has been edited to reflect a correction to the original published text. Xanax is a tranquilizer, not an anti-depressant.

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