AURORA | A man suspected of killing four people at his ex-girlfriend’s home in Aurora allegedly threatened to kill her a week before, according to court records.
Police were still searching Wednesday for Joseph Mario Castorena, 21, in connection with the shooting that left three men and a woman dead in Aurora. Neither the ex-girlfriend — identified in a protection order requested on Oct. 24 as Jessica Serrano — nor two young children at the home were injured in the shooting early Sunday, Aurora police said.
“Unfortunately no, we have not stopped working on locating him,” police said in a tweeted response to queries Monday night whether Castorena had been found. “If anyone know where he is, please call @CrimeStoppersCO. You may be eligible for a $2,000 reward.”
On Tuesday, Crime Stoppers increased the reward to $10,000. The Aurora Reward Fund is also offering a reward of $5,000, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department, for a combined total of $15,000.
Castorena and Serrano have two children together but they do not currently have custody of them, according to protection order applications made by Serrano and her father, Jose Serrrano, last week. At a news conference Sunday after the shooting, interim police chief Dan Oates said those children were out-of-state with family and safe.
He also revealed that Castorena had been ordered earlier in the week to stay away from a “domestic partner” and her home. Police department spokesperson Sgt. Faith Goodrich confirmed Monday that he was referring to Serrano.
“This was an accumulation of events that led to this,” Oates said.
Authorities have not released the names of those killed. However, a relative, Ubaldo Condina, told KUSA-TV that those killed were Jose Serrano, Jessica Serrano’s twin sister and her husband, whom he identified as the parents of the children found at the home, as well as a man who rented an RV on the property.
In her Oct. 24 application for a protection order against Castorena, which was granted the same day, Jessica Serrano said Castorena pulled out a gun and threatened to kill her the day before. She also claimed he held her in his car and would not let her go home.
In his application for a protection order, Jose Serrano said his daughter never came home from work on Oct. 22, and on Oct. 23 she showed up covered in glass with cuts all over her arms. He claimed Castorena broke the driver’s side window of Jessica Serrano’s car as she was sitting next to it. He also said Castorena had previously threatened to kill him if he did not give him his children, the document said.
A woman identified as Jessica Serrano’s sister also requested a restraining order against Castorena but there is no record of it being granted. It did not mention a specific threat made against her but said that she and her family had been dealing with problems between her sister and Castorena for three years.
In the hours after the shooting, police searched the nearby home where Castorena lives with his family but did not find him and his car was found unoccupied, Oates said.
Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward.
We are urging anyone with knowledge about his location to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers,” the APD release said. “If you see Joseph Castorena, you are urged to call 911 immediately.”
Aurora- APD You want this search to show us citizens you mean business? It’s simple—SHOW ME THE MONEY… Chief Dan Oates now is the time to connect with city council to ask them to approve $75 K immediately for reward money. In addition, you want the citizens help, start releasing the information. Those killed have relatives and other caring associates and they don’t care about a bunch of protocol. They know more about the pertinent backstory than the cops ever will, it always comes with valuable insight.
Updated: 5:58 PM MDT November 1, 2022 9 news
“When a man who rented an RV on the property came outside in the midst of the shooting, Cordina said, Castorena shot the renter too”
This unknown renter is living in a rented RV 900 Block of Geneva. To my recollection that’s old northwest Aurora. Hello–
How long has this code enforcement violation been going on? My suspicion is a long time. This is so typical of what Aurora’s lack of any serious enforcement is doing to the city. You want a Ghetto Aurora, you got one. It’s on the increase, and here is just another demonstration. It’s growing out to Colfax and Chambers. You see this Ghetto creep a little more every week.