Yeicop Menjivar appears in two images shared by law enforcement to aid with his arrest. (Upper Darby Police Department)
A Pennsylvania man defending his sister was shot in the head and killed over the weekend by a man his family refers to as “the assassin.”
Kenito Montoya, 24, intervened in a domestic dispute between his sister and her ex-boyfriend during the early morning hours on Sunday, according to the Upper Darby Police Department.
Now, police are searching for a man presumed to still be armed with the same gun that took Montoya’s life.
He’s described as in his late 20s or early 30s and was last seen driving a blue and black Honda Civic, the police department said in a social media post on Feb. 5. “He is armed and dangerous. If seen, call 911 immediately.”
Authorities initially identified the suspect as Yeicop Menjivar, alleging he also goes by the name: Yieco Menjivar Pacheco, 31, Philadelphia-based ABC affiliate WPVI reported.
The incident occurred at a home on Kent Road in Upper Darby Township, a medium-sized township roughly 30 minutes due west of Philadelphia. Officers initially responded to the shooting and found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was kept on life support as his family made decisions about donating his organs, according to WPVI.
Montoya succumbed to his wounds on Tuesday.
Menjivar allegedly showed up at the Montoya family home just after 2 that morning, banging on the front door and demanding to speak to the victim’s sister, CBS News reported.
“She woke up. Her and Yeicop went down to the first floor and they were engaged in a verbal, heated argument. At some point, the girlfriend’s brother intervened,” Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told CBS News. “Yeicop Menjivar and he got into a heated verbal argument, which led to them going down to the basement and a physical fight ensued. At that point, Yeicop Menjivar pulled out a gun and shot the brother in his head one time.”
In comments to WPVI, Bernhardt clarified the victim was shot in his forehead. The weapon believed to have been used to kill Montoya was not recovered from the scene of the crime, police said.
“The assassin came to the house to kill her because she didn’t want to be with him,” Montoya’s father told WPVI.
The victim’s family remembered him as a devoted uncle, a native of Honduras, as well as both humble and social, the TV station reported.
“He was a great person,” the grieving father told CBS News. “He saved her [his sister]. He died a hero.”
Murder charges have been filed against the suspect by the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.
“In consultation with our DA’s office, we’re filing murder charges against Yeicop Menjivar,” Bernhardt told WPVI. “And we’re asking anyone who knows where he is to turn himself in.”
Montoya’s family echoed that plea for help.
“If there’s a family member of his hiding him, please turn him in to the police,” the family said in a statement provided to WPVI.
A felony warrant is currently out for Menjivar’s arrest.
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