The Aurora Police Major Crimes Homicide Unit of Colorado announced on Sunday that a $2,000 reward would be given to any one who could provide valid information on the whereabouts of 31-year-old Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa, the identified suspect in a shooting crime spree inside an Aurora Church.
The Christian Post said Villa opened fired on Friday evening at the congregation of Iglesia Faro De Luz, that was roughly 15 to 20 people and have gathered for a church event. The mass shooting injured two pastors-aged 40 and 42, respectively--and killed one woman-aged 36-whose identities have all been kept confidential by authorities. Iglesia Faro De Luz is headed by lead pastor Remigio Montes, who is affiliated with the Pentecostal church Assemblies of God.
Villa, who has been charged with first-degree murder and has an active warrant of arrest, is being linked to one of the victims but their relationship is similarly kept confidential. The names of all the victims will be disclosed to the public once the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office have confirmed their identification and have notified their respective relatives.
"We do know right now that there is some sort of relationship between the suspect and one of the victims. That exact relationship is not going to be released at this point," Aurora Police Department Agent and Public Information Officer Matthew Longshore said during Saturday's press conference.
"Investigators are working hard to identify this suspect, track him down, and hopefully arrest him ... we have investigators from a major crimes homicide unit on scene...(We are) canvassing the neighboring businesses looking for any surveillance video," he added.
In a statement, Longshore recounted that the police department responded to an emergency call on the shooting in Iglesia Faro De Luz at 8:15pm on Friday. The police arrived at the scene with the two pastors and the woman "all suffering from apparent gunshot wounds." The woman was eventually "tragically pronounced deceased on scene" while the two pastors were rushed to the hospital with expectations that they will "survive" their injuries.
The Aurora Major Crimes Homicide Unit detectives interviewed all the witnesses and examined available physical evidence to "positively identify the suspect responsible for this shooting." The detectives were able to do so after numerous interviews.
Longshore disclosed that there was a fourth adult that had to be taken to the hospital that night but "for other medical reasons." He also revealed that the "facts and circumstances that led up to this shooting are still be(ing) determined. He said he believes it is not "just a random shooting." He then "urged the public to use Crime Stoppers to aid in the "arrest of Jose."
KDVR, on the other hand, reported on Monday that the woman who died is Adela Madrid, who was Villa's ex-girlfriend. Madrid's family pleaded in an interview with KDVR for Villa to surrender to the police. Madrid is said to be an active member of Iglesia Faro De Luz despite being a mother of two and a frontline healthcare worker.
Madrid's 16-year-old daughter, Adeya, called on the public to provide information on Villa to give justice to her mother's "cruel" death.
"I want them to know that I want him to turn himself in or for somebody to give information about him because he took my mom in very cruel way that she did not deserve to go through," Adeya said.
