Fire captain accused of fatally shooting partner, her young son

CAMERON PARK, Calif. (KCRA) - Investigators are still searching for a motive after a California fire captain allegedly killed his partner and her young son in a shooting at his home.

Darin McFarlin, 47, was booked into jail early Friday on two counts of homicide and is being held without bond. He is accused of fatally shooting his partner, 29-year-old Marissa Divodi-Lessa, and her son, Josiah Divodi-Lessa.

Deputies with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9 p.m. Thursday to a report of a shooting at a Cameron Park home belonging to McFarlin. Divodi-Lessa was pronounced dead at the scene, while her son died at the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

Another juvenile in the home was found safe. It’s unclear at this time how they are connected to the others involved in the case.

McFarlin was identified as a person of interest in the shootings then located and detained after midnight in Mono County near the Nevada border, according to the sheriff’s office. He is a fire captain in the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador El Dorado unit.

Investigators were still searching for a motive in the double homicide.

Authorities said McFarlin and Divodi-Lessa were in “a domestic relationship,” but they did not know whether they were married or dating. According to the victim’s family, the couple were boyfriend and girlfriend.

The Buckeye Union School District said Josiah was a second-grade student at Blue Oak Elementary.

Neighbors said they didn’t hear any gunshots Thursday night, and one neighbor even mentioned seeing McFarlin in the morning, waving hello as he always did. She was shocked to learn of the violence that happened hours after their greeting.

A Cal Fire representative said the organization is monitoring the situation closely.