Man pulled out gun from coffee table, shot woman dead: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

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.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Florida Man’s Bizarre Churro Confrontation: Aluminum Bat Threat Shocks Locals

Inset: Giraldo Caraballo (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation). Background: The area near…

Mysterious Disappearances: Two Toddlers Go Missing Months Apart from the Same New York Park

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is calling on the…

Chilling Clue: Single Blood Drop Unveils Grisly Toolbox Discovery of Wife Stabbed 90 Times

Background: Police investigate the crime scene on Green Cedar Lane in Virginia…

Tragic Shooting Incident: Man Allegedly Fires 12 Shots at Unarmed Neighbor in Front of Witness

Inset, left to right: Theodore “Ted” Block (E.C. Nurre Funeral Homes) and…

Shocking Incident: Woman Armed with Three Knives Attacks Boyfriend Over Phone Dispute

Inset: Terriana Johnson (McLennan County Jail). Background: A section of the 1900…

Career Criminal with 49 Convictions Nabbed in String of Burglaries: What You Need to Know

By Staff GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 49-year-old man named Lorenzo Leon Murray…

D4vd Named as Key Suspect in Celeste Rivas Murder Investigation

Renowned singer David Burke, who performs under the stage name D4vd, has…

Judge Slams DOJ with Criminal Contempt Threat Over Repeated Defiance of Orders in Trump Era

Left: Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz (U.S. District Court for…

Florida Mother Arrested for Allegedly Beating Autistic Son with Belt Over Innocent School Kiss

Kelly Michel (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation). A woman from Florida has…

Shocking Altercation Over Missing Chicken Delivery Ends in Tragedy: Woman Fatally Shoots Man

Inset: Bonnie Blackwell (Milwaukee County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A section of the…

Justice Served: Man Sentenced for Horrific Murder of Infant Daughter and Shooting of Ex-Wife

Inset: Mariah and Rosalie Gardner appear for an interview after the attack…

Police Report: Infant Injuries Spark Investigation After Man Claims Bed Fall

Jacob Freeman (Craighead County Sheriff”s Office). An Arkansas resident has been accused…