Police shoot, kill man accused of fatal church shooting in Aurora
The man suspected of fatally shooting a woman at a church in Aurora last week was killed by police after going on a crime spree on Wednesday, according to the Aurora Police Department.
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Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa, 31, was shot by officers near Jamison Avenue and Park Road around 4:40 p.m. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, Matt Longshore, a spokesman for the department, said during press conference Wednesday night.
Police said the pursuit of Villa began after police received several reports of multiple shots fired in a parking lot at 820 N. Dayton St. at 3:45 p.m. A 26-year-old was wounded and transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Longshore said.
In the same parking lot, Villa then carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and about 10 minutes later, was involved in a hit and run at 11th Avenue and Dayton Street, Longshore said.
Minor injuries were reported in the hit-and-run, Longshore said.
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Next, police say, Villa robbed a liquor store at gunpoint at 728 N. Peoria St. No injuries were reported and investigators are working to determine whether anything was taken.
After the robbery, Villa then carjacked another vehicle on Interstate 225 and Parker Road at 4:30 p.m. Ten minutes later, a District Three patrol unit spotted the stolen vehicle near Jamison Avenue and attempted to make a stop.
Longshore said Villa confronted the officers, which prompted them to fire their weapons an undisclosed number of times. It is unknown whether Villa fired his weapon at officers.
No officers were hurt during the pursuit.
“I am extremely grateful that my officers were not injured this evening,” Police Chief Vanessa Wilson tweeted on Wednesday. “They stopped a dangerous criminal from further victimizing our community.”
The 18th Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team has opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The Aurora Police Department, however, is the leading agency into the incident.
Villa was wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder after 37-year-old Adela Maria Madrid was fatally shot and two pastors were wounded on Friday night at the Iglesia Far De Luz at 538 N. Olathe St.
Police have said there were between 15 and 20 people inside the church for a weekly service at the time of the shooting.
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