Jessica Antoinette Aragon, a 28-year-old Hispanic woman from Bloomfield, New Mexico, was described as a beautiful, kind, and loving soul. A mother of four, she was deeply loved and is now profoundly missed by her family and community.
On August 28, 2024, Jessica and a friend, 25-year-old Stoney Torres, were shot and killed at a home in the Harvest Gold neighborhood near Bloomfield.
Investigators stated that the two had gone to a residence on County Road 4909, where they met Isaiah Barella Brown, Ravyn Burns, and the homeowner in a master bedroom. An argument reportedly erupted between Brown and Torres over $80 and a bag of suspected fentanyl pills. According to an affidavit, Brown demanded $80 that Torres owed him from a prior drug purchase, while Torres argued about getting paid for the fentanyl he had just brought over.
A witness told police that both Brown and Torres pulled out guns, but described Brown as the primary aggressor. Jessica and Ravyn Burns allegedly attempted to de-escalate the volatile situation, but Brown opened fire. Both Jessica and Stoney Torres were struck by multiple gunshots. After the shooting, Brown was reportedly heard saying, “I’m sorry,” before he and Burns fled the scene in a silver 2016 Kia Sportage.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the double homicide about 20 minutes after it occurred. Deputies arrived to find Torres deceased with multiple gunshot wounds, and Jessica was found at his feet, also with multiple gunshot wounds to her body. Investigators recovered approximately 12 spent .40-caliber shell casings from the bedroom, along with fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.
The following day, August 29, authorities located Brown and Burns at a mobile home in Waterflow. As law enforcement attempted to make an arrest, Brown allegedly fired numerous rounds at deputies and officers before being taken into custody. Brown, 21, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. Burns, 18, was subsequently charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer. As of August 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system.
