AURORA | A suspect in a Friday shooting at an Aurora church has died after being shot by police Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa, 30, went on a “crime spree” Wednesday afternoon that began with a shooting at 3:45 p.m. in a parking lot in the 800 block of Dayton Street. A 26-year-old man was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, Aurora Police Department spokesperson Matthew Wells-Longshore said during a news conference.
In that same parking lot, Villa carjacked a car at gunpoint and was involved in a hit-and-run crash at East 11th Avenue and Dayton, Wells-Longshore said. Shortly after 4 p.m., Villa allegedly robbed a liquor store in the 700 block of Peoria Street.
At 4:30 p.m., Wells-Longshore said Villa carjacked another car at the intersection of Parker Road and Interstate 225. Officers were responding to the area, and a patrol car spotted the car and apprehended Villa at Jamison Avenue and Parker.
The officers attempted to make a stop of the car, were confronted by Villa, and shot at him, Wells-Longshore said. Villa was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A critical incident response team from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s office will investigate the shooting. Aurora police will continue to investigate the crime spree.
Jamison Avenue is currently closed starting at Parker due to the shooting.
No police were injured. Wells-Longshore did not say whether Villa returned fire to police.
Police were not aware of Villa’s identity until after he was taken to the hospital, Wells-Longshore said. Villa had an active warrant for first-degree murder in connection to a shooting that killed one woman and injured two men at Iglesia Faro De Luz church at 538 Olathe Street in Aurora Friday evening.
Police said Villa was the boyfriend or ex-boyfriend of the slain woman, whose identity has not yet been released.
Police do not know why Villa was in the north Aurora area Wednesday or if he had any connection to any of the victims.
“I’m thankful we found him,” Wells-Longshore said. “It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did.”
Thank you, Aurora police officers, for preventing the alleged murderer from harming others.
Sorry that he died. Alsorry that he will not face justice.
he got what he wanted suicide by cops.
Thank you APD!