A tragic shooting in Washington state has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old man accused of murdering a young mother inside a detached garage apartment. Jonathon Villegas has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Lupita Ponce-Penaloza, according to the Pasco Police Department.
Authorities say the fatal incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 23 in an apartment near 20th Street and Marie Avenue. Police responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire and arrived to find Ponce-Penaloza unconscious, not breathing, and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Villegas, identified as the primary suspect shortly after the shooting, was apprehended on Friday, approximately 65 miles south of the crime scene, in Pendleton, Oregon. He is currently being held without bond at the Umatilla County Jail, awaiting extradition to Washington.
An arrest affidavit obtained by the Tri-City Herald revealed that Ponce-Penaloza had previously expressed fear of Villegas, whom she referred to by the nickname “Trucha.” “In messages to the friend, Lupita questioned whether Trucha had tried to set her up,” the affidavit reportedly stated. “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 at the apartment and witnessed the incident offered slightly different accounts to authorities. One claimed that Ponce-Penaloza and Villegas entered the apartment together, at which point Villegas allegedly retrieved a .45-caliber handgun from beneath a coffee table and shot the victim. He then reportedly opened the door to allow a second man inside, who also fired shots at her.
The second roommate, however, maintained there was only one shooter. Despite the conflicting testimonies, investigators recovered shell casings from two different firearms at the scene, suggesting the possibility of a second suspect. That individual has not yet been identified or arrested.
Police have not released a motive for the killing and emphasized that the investigation remains active. “The arrest does not signal the end of this investigation. Pasco Detectives continue to investigate the details of this case,” the department stated in a Facebook post.
In the wake of the tragedy, Ponce-Penaloza’s sister, Isabella Ponce, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the victim’s son and cover funeral expenses. “We not only lost a sister, but she was a mother and friend,” Isabella wrote. “Lupita was the best sister… she always made her way to make us laugh and reunite with each other.”