Avondale beauty salon owner accused of double murder found dead in jail cell
AVONDALE, Ariz. - A suspect accused of shooting his wife and another man at a beauty salon in Avondale was found dead in his jail cell, authorities said.
Just after 3 p.m. on Sept. 11, officers responded to reports of a shooting at Ema's Barber and Beauty Salon, near Central Avenue and Madden Drive. That's where they found an unidentified man and a woman who had been shot.
They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect, Jose Jesus Rodriguez Parra, was arrested and booked into jail.
"The investigation revealed the suspect, Jose Jesus Rodriguez Parra, joint owner of the salon with wife, came into the salon and shot her and an adult male," police said.
Parra is accused of two counts of first-degree murder.
On Sept 19, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Parra was found unresponsive in his cell at the Fourth Avenue Jail.
"Detention officers and correctional health employees performed life saving measures but were unsuccessful," MCSO said in a statement.
Parra was pronounced dead by firefighters. MCSO says it appears Parra took his own life.
Beauty salon employee reacts to shooting
Fatima Luna worked at the salon over the summer and says Ema Rodriguez, the woman who was killed, was a good person it's not right that this happened to her.
She says Ema was kind, well-loved, and respected by many in the community.
"I don't know what she did, like her personal matters, but she was very kind to me and to those around her," Luna said. "It's very unfortunate."
Ema's son Jonathan says the suspect is his stepfather.
"I want to clarify that this was a family problem gone wrong. As much as I know my stepdad did something that wasn't right, I know he wasn't thinking," he said.
Ema's son offered his apologies to the other victim's family.