3rd Victim In Banning Cemetery Attack Dies

BANNING, CA — Police announced Thursday that a third victim was shot during an Aug. 30 attack at a Banning cemetery, and that person has died from his wounds.

James Lara, 53, of Banning died Thursday after being gunned down at San Gorgonio Memorial Park Cemetery, according to the Banning Police Department.

The identities of two other victims killed in the shooting attack were confirmed Thursday by police. Theresa Sanchez, 42, and Felicia McCafferty, 48, both of Banning, died at the scene. According to a GoFundMe account set up for family members, the two women were sisters.

All three victims were shot around 5:16 p.m. while attending a graveside memorial at the cemetery located at 2201 San Gorgonio Avenue, police said. A possible motive for the killings has not been released, and police have not confirmed whether additional victims were wounded in the violence.

According to a GoFundMe page, Lara was attending the funeral with his girlfriend and her family when he was fired on.

"We are very saddened to let all of his friends and family know that he has lost his battle to fight due to the severity of his injuries from this horrible act that came upon him while he was with his girlfriend and her family at the cemetery that terrible day," the page read.

In the days following the shootings, police publicly identified four suspects and a search was underway. On Sept. 4, Banning police announced all of the suspects were in custody, but as of Thursday the department said "several" of them were still awaiting extradition back to California.

The four suspects included William Armendariz, 23, Christopher Armendariz, 21, Erica Lomas, 23, and Melissa Fay Armendariz, 23. Police reported the latter's age as 45, however jail records reported her as 23; she was arrested at 9:09 p.m. Friday on Ramsey Street in Banning.

There was no word from Banning PD on where the other three were captured. The suspects' relationships to each other have not been released, nor their relationships to the victims.

William Armendariz was the shooter, while the others were accessories in the slayings, according to police.

Anyone who may have information related to the case is asked to call the Banning Police Department's detective bureau at 951-922-3170.