In the late evening of March 28, 2018, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Burien, Washington apartment complex, ending the life of 19-year-old Eveona Cortez, a Hispanic female. Cortez and her 13-year-old friend, Elizabeth Juarez, were in the parking lot of the complex on Ambaum Boulevard Southwest when they were fatally shot. The King County Sheriff's Office was called to the scene around 8:30 p.m.
and found both Cortez and Juarez unresponsive on the ground.
Investigators quickly determined the shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather a targeted, gang-related incident. In the days following the tragic event, a memorial grew at the scene as family and community members mourned the loss of the two young lives. Eveona's father, Ruben Cortez, publicly expressed his profound grief, describing his daughter as a "beautiful human being...full of joy...full of life... laughter." In a remarkable display of grace, he also stated that he forgave the person or persons responsible for his daughter's death.
For three years, the case remained a high priority for the King County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit. While investigators believed they had information about the suspects early on, they continued to seek more eyewitnesses to come forward to build a solid case. The breakthrough came in June 2021 when the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced that Francisco I. Montero had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Eveona Cortez and Elizabeth Juarez.
According to charging documents, the motive for the shooting stemmed from gang rivalry. Juarez had reportedly been involved in tagging the apartment complex where Montero lived, specifically targeting him and his gang affiliation. On the night of the shooting, Montero was alerted to the presence of rival gang members outside the complex. While Juarez was the intended target, prosecutors allege that Montero and his accomplices "simply did not care who else they murdered." Eveona Cortez, who was not involved in the tagging, was tragically caught in the violence. At the time of his charging in the double homicide, Montero was already in custody for a separate 2017 murder of a rival gang member. The investigation into any other individuals involved in the shooting of Cortez and Juarez is ongoing.
