A man who was found guilty for his role in an Olathe shooting that killed two people in 2021 will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On Tuesday in Johnson County District Court, Axel Arellanes-Vara, 41, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for capital murder.

Arellanes-Vara was found guilty by a jury for capital murder on Sept. 9, following a six-day trial. Judge Neil B. Foth handed down the sentence.

The conviction follows the shooting deaths of 45-year-old Angela Santiago and 42-year-old Jose Arellano-Rascon, both of Tonganoxie, Kansas.

Two other men were charged in the killings and reached plea agreements with prosecutors.

In June 2023, Jesus Enrique Cereceda-Soto pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder in the case and was sentenced to 330 months, or 27.5 years, in prison.

In July 2025, Salvador Garcia-Zarate pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional second-degree murder and was sentenced to 330 months, or 27.5 years, in prison.

The murder happened in 2021

On Nov. 20, 2021, around 1:25 a.m., Olathe police were called to investigate possible gunfire heard in the 1000 block of East Fredrickson Drive, according to a previous Johnson County Post report.

An investigation led police to arrest three men in September 2022: Arellanes-Vara, Garcia-Zarate and Cereceda-Soto.

Arriving officers found Santiago and Arellano-Rascon shot to death inside their vehicle, a Kia Forte registered to Santiago, which was still running and in drive.

Santiago was found in the driver’s seat, and Arellano-Rascon was in the front passenger seat, according to Johnson County District Court records.

Earlier that night, the victims were seen at the Black Agave bar in Overland Park, where Garcia-Zarate was captured on video watching them, talking on his cell phone and following them when they left the bar.

Police obtained video evidence that showed the victims were being pursued in the neighborhood by assailants in at least one other vehicle, identified as a Ford F-150.

“It appeared the shooters approached the victims’ car from the rear and shot them as they sat in the car,” Johnson County District Court records said.

Salvador told police that Arellanes-Vara coordinated the killings because Arellano-Rascon had an unpaid debt of $30,000 for a kilo of cocaine, court records stated. He also said Arellanes-Vara had connections to the Juarez Cartel and had recruited two assassins from Mexico to assist in the killings.

Cereceda-Soto corroborated those claims in a separate interview with police, court records stated.

Victims remembered by their families

Following their murders, family members of Santiago and Arellano-Rascon set up GoFundMe campaigns to help pay for funeral expenses.

On both pages, they describe the victims as dedicated family members.

“(Santiago) was a true character herself, lived life to the fullest with no regrets always cheering her kids on, she was the kindest and most funniest mother ever. We will truly miss her and we are heartbroken that she was taken so soon,” her daughter Angela Paez wrote on a GoFundMe page.

On Oct. 28, Paez posted a video on Facebook of her family’s Día de los Muertos display honoring Santiago.

“I know my mom and grandma would’ve loved my girls so much, it breaks my heart to know they will never experience it. If grief is the price we pay for love then I will have to experience it everyday for the rest of my life,” she wrote.

Known as “Woody,” Arellano-Rascon was known for his humor and love for his five children.

“He was a very free spirited and lovable father. He loved to play his guitar and sing music in his band. Our dad loved his kids and did everything for them,” Karina Arellano, his daughter, wrote on his GoFundMe page.