A 30-year-old man from Washington state allegedly murdered a woman inside a detached garage that doubled as an apartment.
Jonathon Villegas is accused of second-degree murder in the death of Lupita Ponce-Penaloza, a 23-year-old mother, according to a Pasco Police Department Facebook post. In the early morning hours of July 23, police received a 911 call reporting a shooting at an apartment near 20th Street and Marie Avenue. When cops arrived, they discovered Ponce-Penaloza unconscious and not breathing, with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Villegas was quickly identified as the suspect, and he was arrested on Friday, about 65 miles south of Pendleton, Oregon. He remains in the Umatilla County Jail without bond pending extradition to Washington.
The Tri-City Herald obtained an arrest affidavit that stated Ponce-Penaloza feared Villegas, whom she referred to as “Trucha.”
“In messages to the friend, Lupita questioned whether Trucha had tried to set her up,” according to the affidavit. “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 allegedly witnessed the shooting provided slightly different accounts. According to one report, the victim and suspect arrived at 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 another man, who also shot the victim.
The second roommate claimed there was only one shooter. According to the complaint, investigators found two different caliber casings at the apartment.
A second suspect has yet to be arrested. Cops have also not revealed a motive for the shooting.
“The arrest does not mark the end of the investigation. “Pasco Detectives are still looking into the specifics of this case,” the cops wrote on Facebook.
Ponce-Penaloza’s sister started a GoFundMe page for her son and funeral expenses.
“We not only lost a sister, but she was also a mother and friend,” Isabella Ponce wrote. “… Lupita was the best sister; even when we had disagreements, she always found a way to make us laugh and reunite.”
