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Family begs murder suspect to surrender; reward offered

Mark Rivera
WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg

BRADENTON, Fla. — A $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man police said shot and killed three people, including his wife, was announced Friday.

Andres "Andy" Avalos, 33, is wanted for questioning in the slayings of a church pastor, his wife, Amber, and his wife's friend on Thursday.

Manatee County sheriff's office public information officer Dave Bristow says dozens of investigators are following leads in the case, but anything could happen as long as Avalos is not in police custody.

"You just don't know what actions he might take in light of what he did," Bristow said.

Amber Avalos' oldest sister, Deanna Freniere, pleaded with Avalos on Friday to turn himself in to authorities.

"Andy, I don't know where you're at or what you're going through," Freniere said through tears, "But I hope to God that you realize what you have done to your family. And how dare you not think of the six kids you have and the future that they're gonna have now. I pray that you come out of hiding and I pray that you give yourself up."

Deputies responding to a shooting at Bayshore Baptist Church at around 1:20 p.m. found a man dead at a residence on church property. The man has been identified as the church's pastor, James "Tripp" Battle, 31.

While investigating the shooting at the church, deputies learned of a second shooting at a home elsewhere in Bradenton, south of Tampa.

When deputies arrived at that location, they found two women had been shot to death. One of the women has been identified as Avalos' wife, 33-year-old Amber Avalos, a member of the church and director of the nursery. The other woman killed was Amber's friend, 46-year-old Denise Potter.

Bristow said the Avaloses' six children are in the custody of a relative.

Avalos' neighbors are worried as long as he is not in police custody.

Manatee County sheriff's deputies say they found Pastor James "Tripp" Battle, 31, dead at Bayshore Baptist Church in Bradenton, Fla., after reports of a shooting Dec. 4, 2014.

Cindy Crist, who lives nearby, says she's terrified Avalos might come back to the home where police say he shot his wife and Potter.

"He could come back here. He could come in a different car," she said. "Kids lost their mother ... in all ways, it's a no-win situation."

Andres Avalos was last seen driving a gold 2003 Chevrolet Suburban with the Florida license plate 484VTZ.

Bristow said investigators staked out Avalos' car where they found it off of highway 64 in a Bradenton Walmart parking lot Thursday night. Avalos didn't come back for it.

But asked if the sheriff's office believe Avalos is still in the area, Bristow responded, "Until you have proof that he's not in this area, you assume he is."

Bristow says the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a domestic dispute, adding that "this wasn't random.".

Four nearby schools were on lockdown after the shooting Thursday afternoon.

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