An arrest warrant has been issued in a cold case involving a 2007 double homicide in Aurora.
The warrant for Alejandro Garcia-Loya, 35, states he is wanted on two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Juan Ayala-Medina and Ignacio Zamudio-Estrada, according to an 18th Judicial District news release.
On July 16, 2007, Aurora police officers, responding to a request for a welfare check, found the victims’ bodies inside an apartment in the 200 block of S. Jasper Circle, the release said. The family of Zamudio-Estrada had called the police after they’d not heard from him in several days and phone calls had gone unanswered. Both victims, who had severe blows to the head, were dead when officers arrived.
Investigators determined Garcia-Loya had resided in the apartment after finding a utility bill for the unit under his name, the release said. DNA and fingerprint evidence was collected from Garcia-Loya’s room. Investigators also found a retail receipt in the room that showed a youth baseball bat, which was not in the apartment, had been purchased.
Several years after the homicides, the Department of Homeland Security Latent Print Unit got a “hit” on the prints that were collected from the Aurora crime scene in 2007. The fingerprints in the DHS system for Garcia-Loya matched five latent prints collected from the homicide scene.
On April 11, 2023, Aurora Police Detective Jason McDonald completed a review of the ongoing case and deemed Garcia-Loya a suspect.
“The Aurora Police Department, along with the Major Crime Homicide Unit, is committed to finding justice for our victims and their families. Just because a case goes cold, does not mean it is forgotten,” Sgt. Chris Cruser stated in the release. “Our detectives are always looking for new leads, evidence and information to solve cases. This is just one example of their efforts and dedication.”
Garcia-Loya is still at large. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).
“As time passes, cases can become tougher to solve,” Deputy District Attorney Grant Grosgebauer said in the release. “No matter how much time passes, our Cold Case Unit is solely focused on holding offenders accountable and ensuring victims get justice.”
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