http:// www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-crash-that-killed-hart-family-believed-by-authorities-to-be-intentional/ar-AAvlO6W?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=ientp
Almost one week after an SUV carrying Devonte Hart and his family plunged off a cliff in California's Mendocino County, authorities say the crash appears to be intentional.
California Highway Patrol's North Division and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office are continuing to investigate the crash that killed parents Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, and their children, Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14.
Devonte, 15, and his two sisters, Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12, who were also riding in the car during the incident, remain missing. CHP Acting Assistant Chief Greg Baarts said they could not determine which woman was driving the car at the time of the crash.
"At this time, three children are still missing and could be in the ocean," said Baarts. "We are trying to determine a time line, path of travel, and if there were any stops."
He told NBC News that California authorities are “tirelessly searching for the missing children along the coastline," while authorities in both California and Washington are "conducting interviews and attempting to establish a timeline and routes of travel in an effort to rule out any other possibilities."
The family, according to neighbors and court records, has had troubles in the past, carrying over to a recently opened investigation into abuse or neglect with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.
Sarah Hart was charged with a misdemeanor offense of domestic assault against her daughter Abigail in 2011, and neighbors claimed that Devonte would often ask for food from his neighbors. He said his parents would withhold food as a punishment tactic.
Devonte, a young black boy, was photographed in 2014 crying in the arms of a white police officer during a protest in Oregon over police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri.
The household had been previously visited by Child Protective Services, and neighbors claim to have called CPS again to report on the family Friday, March 23, before the Harts left on the trip that resulted in the fatal incident.
The state's Department of Social and Health Services released a statement that says the now-deceased children will be identified "as potential victims of alleged abuse or neglect.”
Clark County Sheriff's Office obtained a searched warrant Thursday to retrieve items such as computers, credit cards, and bank statements to help the ongoing investigation for a probable cause.
A felony, according to Baarts, may have been committed this case.