Lupita Ponce-Penaloza (GoFundMe).
A 30-year-old Washington state man allegedly murdered a woman inside a detached garage that served as an apartment.
Jonathan Villegas has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Lupita Ponce-Penaloza, a 23-year-old mother, the Pasco Police Department announced on Facebook. Authorities were alerted by a 911 call on the morning of July 23 concerning a shooting at an apartment near 20th Street and Marie Avenue. Upon arrival, police discovered Ponce-Penaloza unresponsive and not breathing, having sustained multiple gunshot injuries. She was declared deceased at the scene.
Villegas was quickly pinpointed as the main suspect, and law enforcement apprehended him on Friday approximately 65 miles south in Pendleton, Oregon. He is currently held in the Umatilla County Jail without bail, awaiting extradition to Washington.
The Tri-City Herald obtained an arrest affidavit that stated Ponce-Penaloza feared Villegas, whom she called “Trucha.”
According to the affidavit, Lupita messaged a friend expressing suspicion that Trucha might have been setting her up. There was also a text from Lupita advising the friend that they might need to call “911 if something happens.”
Two roommates who were present during the shooting relayed differing versions of the event. One recounted that the victim and Villegas arrived together, after which Villegas allegedly retrieved a .45 caliber handgun from beneath a coffee table and shot Ponce-Penaloza, then welcomed another man who also fired at the victim.
The other roommate stated there had been only one shooter. However, investigators located two different types of shell casings at the scene, as noted in the complaint.
A second suspect has not yet been arrested. Cops also haven’t publicly divulged a motive for the shooting.
“This arrest is not the conclusion of our inquiry. Pasco Detectives are diligently investigating this case further,” stated the police in their Facebook update.
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.”
