6 adults, 8 children plan mass suicide

6 adults, 8 children plan mass suicide
Officials in Southern California on Saturday evening issued an emergency alert for six adults and eight children in a "cult-like" group believed to be planning a mass suicide.

"They were awaiting the rapture or some other catastrophic event," Los Angeles County Sheriff's captain Mike Parker said.

Steve Whitmore, sheriff's spokesman, at a hastily called news conference covered by KNBC Channel 4 of Los Angeles late Saturday, said the group believed "they were going to meet Jesus or deceased relatives."

He said deputies were searching the Palmdale Desert area for the group, believed to be six adults, including men and women, and six boys and two girls.

The notes did not use the term suicide, but did say "they wanted to go on to the next life," Whitmore said.

The group apparently belonged to three families, possibly all were Salvadoran, he said.

They were at what is believed to be a fundamentalist church with a close-knit organization, Whitmore said.