4 Siblings Orphaned After Parents Die Days Apart

Father is shot after mother dies in hiking accident
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 14, 2015 4:52 PM CDT
4 Siblings Orphaned in 2 Separate Incidents
The Big Four Ice Caves in Washington, where Anna Santana was killed while hiking.   (Mark Mulligan/The Herald via AP)

When Annalisa Santana was killed in the collapse of an ice cave in Washington state on July 6, she left behind four children. On Sunday night, those children became orphans when their father was shot to death outside a bar, reports the NBC Los Angeles. The kids range in age from 1 to 14, reports the Press-Enterprise. Santana's death occurred after she flew from California to Washington for a hiking excursion with her kids in the Big Four Ice Caves. The collapse killed her and left five others injured, including her oldest child with an ankle injury and her brother with a serious head injury. On Monday, the kids learned that their father, Adrian Cardona, 35, had been killed.

Details of what happened are skimpy, but police think Cardona got into an argument with a woman at a bar in San Bernardino, which resulted in him getting shot while standing by his car. Surveillance video shows three men at the scene, but no arrests have been made, reports KTLA. Cardona and Santana had been estranged for a while. "This is a nightmare," a family friend tells the Press-Enterprise, adding that she's angered by the number of people on social media criticizing Santana for taking a risky hike and at Cardona for his bar fight. She says Cardona had spoken with his children daily via phone following Santana's death. Supporters have set up a GoFundMe page for the kids. It's not clear who will raise them, but the friend says they have a large extended family. (Meanwhile, a fresh tragedy for parents whose 3-month-old died during his first day at daycare.)

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