Police protection for family of mass killer in US

Calling the suspect in the family killing spree, a “cold-blooded killer”, Californian police today began protecting at least a dozen of his relatives out of fear he may strike again.

Nikolay Soltys, 27, a Ukranian immigrant, killed his pregnant wife, his three-year-old son and four other family members.

He remained at large today as a nationwide manhunt entered its fourth day.

Sacramento County Sheriff Lou Blanas called Soltys a “cold-blooded, calculated killer” and warned that anyone assisting him was “at risk of being his next victim”.

Fourteen family members in the Sacramento area were taken into protective custody.

Police say he used toys to lure the toddler to his death, suggesting that he may be more than a methodical killer, criminal experts said.