In a quiet Oakdale, Minnesota neighborhood, the afternoon of September 15, 2011, was shattered by a horrific discovery that left a community in shock and three children orphaned. Angela Uscanga Gonzalez, a 43-year-old Hispanic female, was found dead in a home on 13th Street, the victim of a brutal act of violence that also claimed the lives of her employers.
Angela, a devoted Christian and a loving mother to three adult children of her own, had recently started working as a nanny for
Cintia Guadalupe Ornelas Bustos, 28, and Jamie Anival Almaras Velasquez, 38. She had met the couple through their shared church and was described by her nephew as a caring and respectful person who loved children. Having recently found this employment after a period of searching, she was grateful for the opportunity to do what she loved.
The tragic events unfolded inside the family's blue split-level home. The couple had reportedly been experiencing relationship problems, and a pastor had been counseling them just days before the incident. On that Thursday afternoon, the couple's six-year-old daughter returned home from school to a scene of unimaginable horror. She found her parents and her beloved babysitter, Angela, all deceased. The young girl, with blood on her hands, ran screaming to a neighbor's house for help. Inside the home, her three-year-old brother was found physically unharmed, watching television.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Angela Uscanga Gonzalez and Cintia Guadalupe Ornelas Bustos were the victims of a double murder, both having died from gunshot wounds to the head. The investigation concluded that Jamie Anival Almaras Velasquez was the perpetrator, taking his own life after killing both women. A handgun and spent ammunition were recovered at the scene. Authorities stated that they were not looking for any other suspects, as the tragic event was contained entirely within the residence. The incident was ruled a double murder-suicide, stemming from the domestic issues between Velasquez and Bustos.
