How did La Mona die? Columbian influencer's death bears uncanny similarities to Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez's shooting

Days after Valeria Márquez’s killing during a livestream, another influencer named María José Estupiñán Sánchez (aka La Mona) was fatally shot. The model-influencer was at her Cúcuta, Colombia, residence on May 15 when the incident happened.

The circumstances under which both Márquez and Sánchez were eerily similar. According to different reports, Valeria was waiting for a courier. The unknown gunman, who arrived at her salon in Jalisco on a motorbike on May 13, reportedly shot the 23-year-old under the pretense of delivering a gift.

At the time, Valeria Márquez was still live streaming on TikTok, which was abruptly cut by another woman, according to BBC.

La Mona, aka María José Estupiñán Sánchez, was also killed by an unidentified assailant at her Cúcuta property. As reported by Colombia-based Noticias Caracol, an unknown person posing as a deliveryman visited the victim at her home and shot her multiple times.

In CCTV footage posted by Canal TRO (@CanalTRO), a suspect is seen fleeing the scene on foot after a gunshot is heard while loud cries for help continue.

According to The Sun, Colonel Leonardo Capacho of Cucuta's Metropolitan Police said,

“She [María José Estupiñán Sánchez] was killed by a man who pretended to be delivering a package.”

Highlighting her complaints of domestic violence, Capacho also added (via the New York Post),

“It could be an alleged femicide since she filed several complaints for domestic violence in previous years, but that is a matter of investigation.”

La Mona was a social communications student at Cúcuta’s Francisco de Paula Santander University. According to Noticias Caracol, she was in her seventh semester and was also managing a clothing business.

María José Estupiñán Sánchez, aka La Mona, was a victim of domestic abuse

Before her murder, the Colombian model-influencer had complained about her abusive ex-boyfriend, per Canal TRO. The local media outlet reported that María José made an appearance before the Prosecutor's Office. According to Canal TRO, a ruling was delivered in her favor, and she was about to be awarded 30 million COP (Colombian pesos) in compensation.

Magda Victoria Acosta, who serves as the president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary, also spoke on the matter. She told CNN,

“She was a young, enterprising woman with a whole life ahead of her, but those dreams are cut short like the dreams of many women in this country.”

Acosta called La Mona a victim of domestic violence and condemned the crime on behalf of the commission. She reassured, working “to deliver justice” to María José Estupiñán Sánchez. As of this writing, the suspect has yet to be identified.

The local media outlets have confirmed that the Cúcuta Metropolitan Police and the Prosecutor's Office are working on analyzing the CCTV footage to identify the assailant. Canal TRO also reported that La Mona’s ex-partner, who reportedly had a history of domestic violence with her, is being considered a key suspect.

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