This week, an arrest warrant was issued for Alejandro Garcia-Loya, DOB 9-9-87, for a double-homicide case that occurred more than a decade ago in Aurora.
Garcia-Loya is charged with the following offenses:
First-Degree Murder After Deliberation (2 Counts)
On July 16, 2007, officers with the Aurora Police Department were dispatched to a welfare check call at an apartment in the 200 block of S. Jasper Circle. Family of Ignacio Zamudio-Estrada called police to share concerns that they had not heard from Ignacio in several days and that multiple phone calls went unanswered.
A responding officer arrived at the complex and opened an unlocked sliding back door. The officer immediately smelled an odor consistent with a decomposing body. Upon entry, officers found two deceased victims with severe trauma to their heads. Both were pronounced dead on-scene.
The victims were identified as:
Juan Ayala-Medina
Ignacio Zamudio-Estrada
Detectives with the Aurora Police Department searched the apartment and found a utility bill in the name of Alejandro Garcia-Loya, who was not related to either of the victims but resided in the apartment. Detectives also found a social security card with the name “Alejandro Garcia,” but discovered that social security card was fraudulent because the social security number on the card did not match the physical name.
Shortly after the murders, detectives sent several pieces of evidence from the apartment to CBI for examination. A spoon and a Mountain Dew can were collected from Alejandro’s room and later DNA tested. The results show the DNA collected from the items were from a single contributor. Fingerprints were also collected from Alejandro’s bedroom without any successful matches. In that same bedroom, a Walmart receipt was found showing a purchase of the Mountain Dew bottle and a youth baseball bat shortly before the crime took place. The youth baseball bat was not recovered.
Several years later, the Department of Homeland Security Latent Print Unit got a “hit” on the latent prints submitted in 2007. The fingerprints in the DHS system for Alejandro Garcia-Loya matched the five latent prints collected from the homicide scene.
On April 11, 2023, Aurora Police Detective Jason McDonald completed a review of this case and concluded the third roommate who fled to Mexico after killing Ignacio Zamudio-Estrada and Juan Ayala-Medina is Alejandro Garcia-Loya.
“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,” said Major Crime Homicide Unit Sgt. Chris Cruser. “Our detectives are always looking for new leads, evidence and information to solve cases. This is just one example of their efforts and dedication.”
At this point in time, the defendant has not yet been apprehended. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
“As time passes, cases can become tougher to solve,” Deputy District Attorney Grant Grosgebauer said. “No matter how much time passes, our Cold Case Unit is solely focused on holding offenders accountable and ensuring victims get justice.”
