In the early hours of a Thursday morning in Alpharetta, Georgia, a sense of unease settled over Albino Cordero when his son, Ivan, failed to show up for their landscaping job. Ivan, a punctual and reliable man, was always on time. A knot of dread tightened in Albino's stomach with each unanswered call to his son's phone. His worst fears were realized when he went to check on Ivan at the Tidwell Circle home he shared with co-workers. There, he discovered that his 35-year-old son, Ivan Cordero, was one of two men who had been shot and killed in a violent home invasion on March 10, 2022.
Inside the residence, authorities also found 21-year-old Geovani Cruz deceased from gunshot wounds. A third individual, a 17-year-old uncle of Cruz, was also shot but survived his injuries. The tranquility of the suburban neighborhood was shattered as the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office launched an intensive investigation into the double homicide. Family members reported hearing a fight, followed by gunshots, as the victims tried to protect the others in the home. It soon became clear that this was not a random act of violence. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Juan Escalante-Alarcon of Norcross, a man who was known to Geovani Cruz.
The investigation revealed a history of conflict between Escalante-Alarcon and the residents of the home. In fact, he had reportedly broken into the same house just a month prior to the fatal shootings. Described as 'armed and dangerous,' Escalante-Alarcon had multiple active warrants for charges including home invasion, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children. Law enforcement officials also confirmed that he did not have legal citizen status and had been previously deported. Following the incident, a manhunt was initiated, with authorities urging the public, particularly the Hispanic community, to come forward with any information regarding his whereabouts. They also issued a stern warning that anyone found to be aiding or hiding the suspect would face criminal charges.
The search for Juan Escalante-Alarcon came to an end with his arrest. Ivan Cordero, a native of Hidalgo, Mexico, had come to the United States to work and provide for his wife and three children who remained in his home country. He had promised his family he would return in three years. In the wake of the tragedy, his family, with the assistance of the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta, made arrangements for his body to be repatriated. A funeral service was held for both Ivan Cordero and Geovani Cruz in Cumming, Georgia, where family, friends, and members of the community gathered to mourn their untimely deaths before they were returned to their native Mexico.
