Lupita Ponce-Penaloza (GoFundMe).
A 30-year-old Washington state man allegedly murdered a woman inside a detached garage that served as an apartment.
Jonathon Villegas stands accused of second-degree murder in the death of a 23-year-old mother, Lupita Ponce-Penaloza, the Pasco Police Department said in a Facebook post. Cops received a 911 call in the early morning hours of July 23 about a shooting at the apartment located near 20th Street and Marie Avenue. When cops arrived, they found Ponce-Penaloza unconscious and not breathing, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Villegas was quickly identified as the suspect and authorities arrested him on Friday, some 65 miles south near Pendleton, Oregon. He remains in the Umatilla County Jail without bond pending extradition back to Washington.
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The Tri-City Herald obtained an arrest affidavit that stated Ponce-Penaloza feared Villegas, whom she called “Trucha.”
“In messages to the friend, Lupita questioned whether Trucha had tried to set her up,” the affidavit reportedly said. “There was also a text message sent from Lupita telling this friend that the friend may need her to call “911 if s— goes down.'”
Two roommates who lived in the apartment and reportedly witnessed the shooting reportedly gave slightly different accounts. One said the victim and suspect came to the apartment together. Villegas allegedly reached under a coffee table, pulled out a .45 caliber handgun and shot Ponce-Penaloza before opening the door for a second man who also shot the victim.
The second roommate said there was only one shooter. However, investigators recovered two different caliber casings at the apartment, the complaint reportedly said.
A second suspect has not yet been arrested. Cops also haven’t publicly divulged a motive for the shooting.
“The arrest does not signal the end of this investigation. Pasco Detectives continue to investigate the details of this case,” cops wrote in the Facebook post.
Ponce-Penaloza’s sister set up a GoFundMe for her son and funeral expenses.
“We not only lost a sister but she was a mother and friend,” Isabella Ponce wrote. “… Lupita was the best sister although we all had our issues with each other she always made her way to make us laugh and reunite with each other.”
