Mom’s ex-boyfriend shot 3 of her children in murder-suicide after she let him take them out to eat

Police have identified the three children found dead inside a car in Atlanta as 9-year-old Carlos Rodriguez (left), 11-year-old Chadal Rodriguez (center) and 13-year-old Arianny Rodriguez (right)

Three children, ages 9 to 13, were tragically killed in what authorities suspect was a murder-suicide after their mother agreed to let an ex-partner take them out for a meal, officials in Georgia reported.

A police officer patrolling Lucky Shoals Park in Gwinnett County, roughly 20 miles northeast of Atlanta, made the grim discovery of the bodies of a man and the three children shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday in a vehicle parked on a walking trail.

The children were found alongside Jose Plasencia, 56, who shared another child with the siblings' mother, Karina Rodriguez

Gwinnett County police identified the children as Arianny Rodriguez, 13, Chadal Rodriguez, 11, and Carlos Rodriguez, 9.

The suspect was identified as Jose Plasencia, 56, who had a previous relationship with the children's mother. Police disclosed that the mother was at the hospital due to an unrelated injury to another one of her children. Plasencia, who was the father of the injured child, met the mother and the children at the hospital.

Investigators believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide, but are awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner's office

"After some time, the mother agreed to let the three children go with the suspect to grab a bite to eat while she remained at the hospital," police stated in a Facebook post.

Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Michele Pihera described the incident as a tragedy and emphasized the commitment of officers to thoroughly investigate the case and provide closure to the affected families.