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Santa Barbara Man Indicted for Killing Children in Mexico
A 40-year-old Santa Barbara man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly killing his two young children in Mexico.
Mattew Taylor Coleman is charged with two counts of foreign first-degree murder of United States nationals in connection with the deaths of his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter. The indictment was unsealed on September 8, 2021, and the case will be prosecuted in United States District Court in downtown San Diego.
The alleged murders took place on August 9, 2021, in Rosarito, Mexico. Coleman had taken his children to Mexico and killed them before returning to the United States. He was arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry as he entered the country without the children.
The FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Santa Barbara Police Department are investigating the case, which involved cooperation from Mexican authorities.
The indictment is eligible for the death penalty, but the decision on whether to seek it will be made by the Attorney General at a later date.
Coleman is expected to make his initial court appearance on the indictment tomorrow in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He will then appear in United States District Court in San Diego to face the charges.
The case has sparked an outpouring of grief in the community, with Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman saying, ‘There are no words to describe the profound grief that envelops an entire community when a child is murdered.’
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office praised the quick investigative efforts of agents, the Santa Barbara Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Mexican authorities, which led to Coleman’s arrest.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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