Desiree Carmen Fuentes, a 43-year-old Hispanic/Latina woman from Santa Rosa, was killed in a double homicide that authorities say began in Sonoma County and ended with two bodies discovered in Lake County on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. She was one of two victims, along with 58-year-old Terry Joe Harris, also of Santa Rosa. What should have been a holiday weekend with family turned into a violent chain of events that left Fuentes’ relatives searching for answers and pushing for justice.
According to reports, the investigation began around 8:50 a.m. when California Highway Patrol officers attempted to stop a gray 2000 Chevrolet Suburban for a registration violation near State Route 53 and Dam Road in Clearlake. The vehicle did not immediately stop, continuing until it reached the area of 18th Avenue and Oak Street. When the SUV finally stopped, a male passenger tried to run from officers. He was quickly detained and later identified as Alex Kenneth Schussolin, 37, of Clearlake. The driver, identified as Jasslynn Pearl Critchett, 32, also of Clearlake, remained at the scene.
As officers dealt with the stop, they noticed blood inside the Suburban. The discovery led them to the rear passenger area, where Terry Joe Harris was found unresponsive in the backseat. He was pronounced dead at the scene. What began as a traffic stop immediately became a homicide investigation, and as authorities searched further, they found Desiree Fuentes down an embankment off State Route 175, about 1.5 miles north of the Lake-Mendocino County line. Her body had been discarded away from the vehicle, deepening the sense that the crime had unfolded across more than one location.
Authorities later said both Fuentes and Harris died from gunshot wounds. Investigators believe the killings likely began in Sonoma County before the suspects traveled into Lake County, where CHP officers ultimately encountered them. Officials have described the case as an isolated incident and said there was no continuing threat to the public. A firearm was reportedly recovered near the area where Schussolin fled, though early reports said investigators had not immediately confirmed whether that weapon was connected to the killings.
Fuentes’ family described her as someone who was warm, outgoing, and deeply loved. Her daughter said Fuentes had recently been trying to reconnect with family and had made plans to spend Easter weekend dyeing eggs with her daughters. Relatives said she was looking toward a new beginning after difficult years, and that she had a gift for making people feel close to her. Her brother recalled that she could walk into a room of strangers and leave with everyone feeling like her friend. Her daughter remembered her laughter as bright and contagious, the kind of presence that could cut through dark moments.
Schussolin and Critchett were both arrested and taken into custody after the traffic stop. Prosecutors charged them in connection with the deaths of Fuentes and Harris, including two counts of first-degree murder. Reports also state they faced charges related to carjacking, being felons in possession of a firearm, and being felons in possession of ammunition. Both suspects pleaded not guilty and remained in custody as the case continued through the Lake County court system.
Investigators have not publicly established a motive for the killings. The available reports point to a violent encounter involving the victims, a suspected carjacking, gunfire, and a trip from Sonoma County into Lake County before the grisly discovery by CHP officers. For Fuentes’ family, the court process became not only about punishment for the people accused, but about making sure she was remembered as more than the way she was found. They have spoken of her as a mother, sister, and loved one whose life was interrupted just as she was trying to rebuild bonds with the people closest to her.
