Affair turned deadly when Avondale salon owner kills wife and suspected lover, police say
AVONDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — An affair turned deadly when an Avondale salon owner shot and killed his wife and her suspected lover on Sunday, police say. Just after 3 p.m., Avondale officers responded to a shooting at Ema’s Barber and Beauty Salon near Central Avenue and Western Avenue. According to court documents, Jose Jesus Rodriguez Parra shot his wife and co-owner of the salon, Ema Maldonado, and her alleged lover. Parra then called 911 and told police he had shot the two. Officers arrived and found Maldonado and the man dead in the salon.
Court documents say Parra admitted to shooting his wife and the man and said he noticed several months ago the two began flirting with each other. He reportedly caught Maldonado and the man texting and sending photos to each other. He told police he was planning to leave for Mexico and showed up at the salon when the man walked in with his two sons. Investigators say that Parra then left the salon and went to his house, grabbing a backpack with a gun inside. He then went back and told the police the man smiled at him, so he decided to shoot him. Parra and the man began to fight, causing Parra to lose his gun. However, police say he then shot the man in the head in front of the man’s two young sons.
According to court documents, Parra told police he remembered Maldonado trying to break up the fight between the two men and shooting her in the head. Investigators say Maldonado’s son, who works inside the shop, said he tried to break up the fight between Parra and the other man, but when he heard gunshots, he ran to the back room to get his daughter. Video surveillance shows the fight between Parra, his wife, and the other man before the deadly shooting.
Parra was taken into custody on Monday and booked on two counts of second-degree murder, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of aggravated assault. The second man’s name has not been released. A GoFundMe has been set up for Maldonado. If you would like to donate, click/tap here.
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