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California man in custody after 2 children found decapitated, deputies say

LANCASTER, Calif. — A father has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two of his children were found decapitated in their Lancaster, California, home on Friday morning.

Maurice Taylor Sr., 34, is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, KCAL reported.

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to KABC that the beheaded bodies of a 12-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were recovered from the home after firefighters initially responded to a possible gas leak at the residence.

According to a news release, both the boy and girl “appeared to be suffering from lacerations and stab wounds,” KABC reported.

According to authorities, investigators were questioning a man, a woman and two other children who were also at the home.

“One of the adult individuals at the scene was transported to the hospital for trouble breathing,” Lt. Brandon Dean, with the sheriff’s department, told KCAL.

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Perris confirmed to both TV stations that the children were decapitated.

“The world has been shredded, and we are starting to see the aftermath,” Perris told KCAL.