CASTLE ROCK, Colorado (CNN) -- Authorities said a man estranged from his wife killed his three young daughters before driving to a police station where he died in a shootout with police early Wednesday.

Police Chief Tony Lane said that Simon Gonzales drove his white pickup truck to the Castle Rock police station shortly before dawn, got out, and opened fire on the one-story brick building.

Police on duty said they told Gonzales in both English and Spanish to drop his weapon. He refused and was fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire.

Moments later, police found the bodies of his daughters, ages, 7, 8 and 10, in the pickup.

"It appears the children were dead when they arrived at the police department," said Michael Knight, spokesman for the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office


Simon Gonzales

"The preliminary investigation does not indicate any of the officers' bullets struck the children.

Police believe that Gonzales killed the children before driving to the police station.

His estranged wife had called police hours earlier. She had given her husband permission to take the girls to an amusement park, but was worried after they failed to come home by midnight, a family friend said.

Police prepared a report and were ordered to look out for Gonzales and the children. Gonzales' wife also told police he had suicidal tendencies, said Police Chief Lane.

"It's speculation, but we think he wanted police to kill him," Lane said.

Gonzales was separated from his wife and the couple was in the process of getting a divorce. She also obtained a restraining order to keep him 100 feet away from their home. Court records listed the reason as domestic abuse.

Castle Rock is a community of about 18,000 people about 25 miles south of Denver.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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