KING COUNTY, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video originally aired in March 2019, one year after Elizabeth Juarez and Eveona Cortez were killed.
A man was charged Monday in a 2018 gang-related shooting in Burien where two teens died, including a 13-year-old.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Francisco I. Montero with two counts of murder in the first degree.
Elizabeth Juarez, 13, and Eveona Cortez, 19, were killed in the shooting in the parking lot of an apartment complex on March 28, 2018.
Witnesses told police that Juarez tagged the apartment complex where Montero lived with his girlfriend and that she had been specifically targeting Montero, according to probable cause documents.
Detectives believe Montero, Juarez and Cortez were all associated with different street gangs, although Cortez was not involved in the tagging, according to documents.
On the night of the shooting, Montero’s girlfriend alerted one of his associates that members from another gang were outside the complex and asked him to let Montero know. The two exchanged additional messages about who was at the complex.
The shooting happened about 10 minutes after their messages, according to documents.
Prosecutors allege that Juarez was Montero’s target but Montero and his accomplices “simply did not care who else they murdered.”
Montero’s DNA was also found on shell casings found at the scene, according to documents.
Several witnesses told police they saw two suspects running from the scene, according to documents. Detectives with the King County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate Montero’s accomplices to the crime, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Montero is already in custody after being convicted in the 2017 murder of a rival gang member. The prosecutor’s office asked that no bail be allowed, and a judge agreed.
The Juarez family released the following statement:
"It has been a heavy burden to my family to lose Elizabeth but a sense of relief that those responsible will be held accountable. Today is about justice for Elizabeth and Eveona. We lost two beautiful young women to act of violence that affected our families and extended families and the young lives that witnessed this unfortunate tragedy.
"We want to thank the King County investigators and the Prosecutor’s office for making sure that the lives of Elizabeth and Eveona mattered. My family would also like to thank Latino Civic Alliance for supporting our family during the last 3 years during this difficult time.
"This is now a time for healing and new beginning for our family and the Burien community. Our family also believes that King County should provide family supportive services that make a real difference to help the community and to inspire our youth that they can achieve their dreams."