INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
Mesa police detectives are continuing their investigation into a Monday night shooting but said preliminary findings indicate it was a murder/suicide.
The shooting occurred about 7:35 p.m. Monday, April 3, and police responded to an apartment at 640 W. 8th Ave., where they found three bodies after speaking with the man who called authorities.
The man said he lived in the apartment with his girlfriend and her children. We he came home from work he found the 46-year-old woman, her son, 21, and daughter, 14, dead, police said.
Officers said the victims were in separate rooms inside the apartment.
“The preliminary findings by detectives show evidence that the scene appears to be a murder/suicide,” police said in a release.
“It appears that the male shot his mother and sister and then shot himself. It is very early in the investigation and details may change as the investigation continues.”
Police identified the victims Tuesday afternoon: Aide D Popoca, 46, Ashley Popoca, 14, and Rafael Popoca, 21.