In the early hours of a Sunday morning, the life of 42-year-old Hispanic female, Isaura Soto Gaona, was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence at her place of work in Hillsboro, Oregon. On April 2, 2023, what began as a routine night for the manager of Kim's Red Rose Restaurant and Bar turned into a fatal encounter. The events that led to her death started when a group of four men, including 23-year-old Sain Delgado Venegas, entered the establishment and were asked for
identification. When they refused to provide it, they were asked to leave the premises.
About an hour later, the same group returned and seated themselves in a different section of the restaurant. Soto Gaona, along with a bartender, once again approached the men and asked them to leave. While three of the men complied and exited the building, Venegas lingered by the doorway. It was then that he pulled out a handgun and aimed it at both Soto Gaona and the bartender. The weapon initially malfunctioned, failing to fire twice. However, Venegas persisted, clearing the malfunction before firing a single, fatal shot that struck Soto Gaona in the chest. Despite the immediate efforts of restaurant staff and responding officers to save her, Isaura Soto Gaona succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified Sain Delgado Venegas as the primary suspect. He was arrested on April 5, 2023, just days after the incident. Authorities were able to link him to the crime through surveillance footage from the restaurant which captured the entire tragic event. Further evidence was gathered from security cameras at a courthouse, where Venegas had met with his parole officer just weeks prior, wearing the same distinctive sweatshirt as on the night of the shooting.
In September 2024, Sain Delgado Venegas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm, as well as two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. This sentence will run consecutively with an additional eight-year sentence for possession of a weapon by an inmate, a charge that arose after a makeshift weapon was discovered in his jail cell while he was awaiting trial. Venegas had a history of criminal activity and had been released from prison shortly before the fatal shooting.
