Bradenton, Florida -- The family of 33-year-old Andres Avalos made a desperate plea on Saturday afternoon.
The father of Avalos had few words to say and just one simple request, "I'm pleading with you to please turn yourself in." Andres is accused of killing three people including his wife 33-year-old Amber Avalos, Amber's friend, 46-year-old Denise Potter and his pastor James "Tripp" Battle, 31. Detectives say they were all killed on Thursday.
Four hours after his father made the plea Avalos was arrested and charged in the pastor's murder. Pastor Battle was the reverend at Bayshore Baptist Church in Bradenton.
Andres Avolos was taken into custody at a mobile home park in the 6300 block of 14th Street in Bradenton. He remains a suspect in the murder of his wife and neighbor.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office had said that there's a $15,000 reward for information leading to Avalos' arrest. No word on how they were able to track him down and whether a tip led them to him.
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One of the women has been identified as 33-year-old Amber Avalos, who is Andy's wife and a member of the church as the Nursery/Children's director. The other woman killed was Amber's friend, 46-year-old Denise Potter.
Pastor Tripp Battle had been the Reverend at Bayshore Church for the last 18 months. Church member Karen Tidwell watched the congregation grow nearly four times as much before he started. Amber Avalos had been the children's director, and would teach them about the Lord and create artwork with them to decorate the church walls.
"Both Tripp and Amber were wonderful people, I know they are in heaven now," said Tidwell.
She broke into tears thinking about throwing away their name tags they wrote in her young adults class she organizes at the church.
"It's a newer class I asked Tripp if he'd let me put together for the young parents coming to the church, and since so many new people were coming they made up name tags for each person.
Avalos is being held on no bond for three counts of murder. The Bradenton Herald reports that during a brief court appearance Sunday Avalos gave a full confession to Manatee County Sheriff investigators.
