Calvary Chapel pastor and his wife shot dead outside their home in Irapuato, Mexico; suspect detained

Ángel González, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Irapuato, and his wife, Irán Montes, were shot and killed outside their home in Irapuato, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, early on Thursday, Oct. 15. Calvary Chapel is a California-founded network of evangelical churches.

The couple was attacked at about 1 a.m. as they tried to open their garage gate to park their vehicle on Edison Street in the Villas El Dorado subdivision, El Informador reported. González died at the scene. Montes was taken for medical care but died of her wounds. El Informador reported that armed men had followed the couple home, and Calvary Chapel Magazine said two gunmen opened fire. The magazine said González had officiated a funeral shortly before the attack. Local outlet IB Noticias said early accounts differed on how the attacker approached.

Montes, 49, held a master's degree and taught in the Division of Natural and Exact Sciences at the University of Guanajuato, local outlet La Nigua reported. González was 51. The couple leaves two teenage children.

Irapuato's Public Security Secretariat reported detaining Edson Ismael "N," 30, in the Las Rosas neighborhood after officers checked a suspicious vehicle, IB Noticias reported. La Nigua on Oct. 17 described him as the alleged shooter and said he was being held pending appearance before a judge. No charges had been reported as of Oct. 17.

The Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office has not announced a motive. La Nigua reported that it is investigating whether the man acted on his own or on others' orders. Early reports conflicted on robbery. Calvary Chapel Magazine wrote on Oct. 15 that, pending an official report, "the information as of this article is that the shooting was a robbery turned fatal." La Nigua reported that initial inquiries ruled out robbery because the couple's belongings and vehicle were left at the scene. IB Noticias wrote that "no conclusive evidence has been publicly presented that would link the attack to the pastor's religious activities" (translated from Spanish).

"The church is heartbroken and in desperate need of our prayers and support," Calvary Chapel Magazine wrote. "The Calvary Chapel families all around Mexico are grieving." La Nigua reported that the church held a private wake at the family's request and asked for respect for the family's privacy.

The killings came during a violent stretch in Guanajuato. El Informador reported that 15 people were killed across the state on Oct. 14.