Village Trustee Shoots His Partner, Her Lover, Then Himself

ELLENVILLE, NY — A member of the Ellenville village board shot his longtime domestic partner and her lover and then took his own life Thursday morning outside the Canal Lock apartments on Center Street. Efrain Lopez, 55, shot and killed Margarita Soto and Jose Cruz, both 55 as well, before killing himself.

Police said Lopez and Cruz got out of their cars, at which time Lopez shot Cruz, according to the Daily Freeman. Lopez then shot Soto from the passenger-side window of the car Cruz had been driving.

There had been no reports of domestic problems involving any of the three individuals.

Besides being a village trustee, Lopez worked for the Ellenville school system in Ulster County.

For more, read the Daily Freeman here.

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