California mudslides: Three-year-old girl among dead as names of victims released

Torrential rain sent an avalanche of debris and water surging down a hillside that had been stripped bare by recent wildfires, tearing houses from their foundations and launching a days-long slog to rescue people still trapped in cars and homes. As the search-and-rescue effort unfolded, sheriff’s officials declined to publicly release details about the dead — in part an acknowledgement that the toll could mount higher — as they whittled down the number of missing people. All 17 people who perished were from the town of Montecito, and four were children: 10-year-old Jonathan Benitez, 3-year-old Kailly Benitez, 12-year-old Sawyer Corey and 6-year-old Peerawat Sutthithepn all lost their lives.