An 18-year-old woman was killed and a 19-year-old social media influencer was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries in a shooting late Monday at a movie theater in a shopping and entertainment complex in Corona, California.
Police arrested 20-year-old Joseph Jimenez in connection with the crime after witness statements led authorities to serve a search warrant at Jimenez's home in the 19000 block of Envoy Avenue in El Cerrito Tuesday night.
He was acting alone in the murder, attempted murder and robbery of the two victims, Corona police said Wednesday morning during a press conference.
On July 26, police responded just before midnight to a call for help at a movie theater located in The Crossings in the 2600 block of Tuscany Street. Officers found the two gunshot victims at the location.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Rylee Goodrich was dead, and Anthony Barajas was on life support, police said.
Barajas, known online as itsanthonymichael, has nearly a million followers on TikTok, and more on other platforms.
Police said the shooting happened inside the theater during a late showing of "The Forever Purge."
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Gloria Jennifer Castro was in another part of the theater when she said the movie stopped. She had been watching with her brother and 11-year-old son.
"They told us to leave. There was an emergency, just leave fast," Castro said. "It's pretty scary, the fact we didn't know nothing was going on. Just scary."
Six tickets were sold for the showing, police said, though they did not share how the suspect obtained the ticket found in his possession.
Corporal Tobias Kouroubachalis, PIO for the Corona Police Department, said during the press conference that they did not yet have a motive for the "heinous unprovoked crime," and there was "no information the suspect and the victims had any prior contact before these crimes took place."
Witnesses coming forward led police to the suspect, Kouroubachalis said.
Regal Theaters released the following statement.
“We have received confirmation of an incident at our Corona Crossings theatre last night. We are currently working with the local authorities regarding the investigation. Our primary concern is for the safety and security of our guests and staff.”
The theater remained closed Tuesday. Movie-goers were offered tickets to another showing.
During the search at Jimenez's home, authorities found a gun that matched the caliber of the weapon used in the homicide, and additional evidence related to the crime.
Jimenez was booked at the Riverside Presley Detention Center on charges of murder, attempted murder, and robbery. He is being held on a $2 million dollar bail.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Corona Police Senior Det. Slaven Neagu at 951-739-4916 or email Slaven.Neagu@CoronaCA.gov, or the Corona Police Tip Line at 951-817-5837.
