Police: Couple, boy die in murder-suicide

updated 3:08 p.m. ET May 6, 2009

ORANGE, Calif. - An electrical contractor who was having financial problems shot to death his live-in girlfriend and 3 1/2-year-old son before killing himself, police said Wednesday.

Officers called to an apartment Tuesday afternoon found the bodies of Craig Rubin, 44, and Mary Striley, 42, on beds in separate bedrooms while the body of their son, Jake, was in a high chair in the kitchen, Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Each had been shot once in the head.

Police were called by the apartment manager, who had not seen the family in several days. The manager said the couple had not moved their cars or answered their phone for days, police said.

Adams said Rubin left a suicide note in which he took responsibility for killing his family.

The motive for the killings was under investigation, but Rubin had financial problems and both his girlfriend and son had health problems, Adams said. He had no details about those problems.

A work van labeled Rubin Electric was parked outside the apartment.

Rubin and Striley had lived together for four or five years, Adams said.

Orange is in central Orange County about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

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