Suspected Armed And Dangerous Killer On The Loose; Police Seek Public's Help

The daughter of a 55-year-old woman who was shot to death in her Corona home was found unharmed today, but the alleged killer -- who may have dated the victim's daughter, prompting fears for her safety -- remained at large.

Carlos Martin Quezada, 28, allegedly shot Katherine Aguirre multiple times in her single-story house at 715 S. Merrill St. around 12:25 p.m. Wednesday, according to Corona police.

Officers were called to the location to investigate reports of shots fired and discovered Aguirre on the floor of her home, bleeding and unconscious, Corona police Sgt. Kim Velasco told City News Service.

The victim was rushed to Corona Regional Medical Center -- only three blocks away -- but she was pronounced dead on arrival, Velasco said.

She said investigators immediately identified Quezada as a suspect. Attempts to locate Aguirre's 28-year-old daughter, Crystal Gene Lopez, were unsuccessful at first, and she was thought to have been in danger, with investigators suspecting the killing was the result of a "boyfriend- girlfriend" thing between the Quezada and Lopez, Velasco said.

Lopez was found unharmed this morning, Corona police Sgt. Brent Nelson said.

A family friend of Aguirre and Lopez told ABC7 that Quezada beat up Lopez Wednesday morning, prompting Aguirre to call the police.

Aguirre later returned to the home and shot Aguirre, according to the friend, Kimberly Perez. Lopez, a mother of four, was taking her kids to school at the time, a friend told ABC7.

Another friend told the station he spoke with Lopez hours after the shooting and she indicated she was safe but in hiding from Quezada. A posting on Lopez's Facebook page had claimed that she was safe and trying to avoid Quezada, according to broadcast reports, but police said they could not confirm that Lopez had posted the message.

Quezada fled in a 1982 Chevrolet pickup truck with a California license plate: 2B29305, police said.

"He's considered armed and dangerous," Velasco said.

The suspect is 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, with brown eyes and hair, sporting a goatee. There was no word on what he was last wearing.

Anyone with information was urged to contact Corona police Detective Steve Sears at (951) 279-3572, or call 911. All tips can be made anonymously.