A man shot dead by Aurora police on Wednesday has been identified as the 31-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed one woman and injured two men at a church Friday night.
Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa was on an armed crime rampage Wednesday, including alleged carjackings and a shooting, when he was stopped by Aurora police and shot, said Matthew Longshore, a police spokesman.
Longshore said that Villa, driving a stolen car, was stopped by officers about 4:40 p.m. at East Jamison Avenue and South Parker Road. Villa pointed a gun at officers, who opened fire on the suspect.
In Friday night’s shooting at Iglesia Faro De Luz, 538 Olathe St., a 36-year-old woman was killed, and a 40-year-old man and a 42-year-old man were wounded, police said.
On Wednesday evening, Villa was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“I am extremely relieved that my officers were not injured this evening,” Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said on Twitter. “They stopped a dangerous criminal from further victimizing our community.”
: Officer Involved Shooting in the area of E Jamison Ave/ S Parker Rd. Suspect was shot and transported to hospital, condition unknown. No officers were injured. Large police presence. Follow here for updates. PIO is enroute.
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD)
The string of crimes Wednesday started about 3:40 p.m. with a shooting in the area of Dayton Street and East Eighth Avenue, Longshore said. One person was shot and taken to a hospital. Police said Villa was involved in the shooting and then carjacked a nearby vehicle a short time later.
After the shooting and carjacking, a liquor store was robbed, allegedly by Villa, on Peoria Street. About 4:30 p.m., Villa allegedly carried out another carjacking, near I-225 and Parker Road, Longshore said.
At about 4:40 p.m., officers spotted the carjacked vehicle and stopped it near East Jamison Avenue and Parker Road, and the shooting happened.
“They stopped a violent criminal,” Longshore said. “I’m thankful we found him, it is unfortunate it ended the way it did.”
