2 charged in deaths of man, teen in Koreatown

Two men were charged Wednesday with the shooting deaths of a man and his 17-year-old daughter on New Year’s Eve.

Matthew Koontz, 33, faces two counts of murder, including the special circumstance allegations of multiple murder and murder during a burglary, which could make him subject to the death penalty if convicted.

Jonathan Blackwell, 26, also was charged in the slayings.

Koontz was arrested a few hours after the shooting. Blackwell remains at large.

Authorities said the two men broke into a Koreatown apartment about 4:15 a.m. Sunday. Authorities said Raul Cruz, who tried to fight the intruders off, and his daughter, Jessica Siriano, were killed. Cruz’s wife, Micaela Estrada, was shot in the chest and remains hospitalized.

Both men were also charged with attempted murder, burglary and robbery.