CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — Two men and a teenager are facing charges related to the killing of a man west of the Casa Grande Mountains, a spokesman with the Casa Grande Police said.
Officers were called to Isom Road, between Arica and Shedd roads, around 4:38 a.m. on Saturday for reports that someone had been shot in the roadway. There they found 30-year-old Arizona City resident Julian Reynolds deceased.
According to a police statement, detectives learned that two suspects, 21-year-old Roberto Barrera, and 20-year-old Victor Leal were driving in the area with a 16-year-old friend when their car ran out of gas.
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While the trio was waiting for a friend to bring them more gas, Barrera and Leal burglarized another vehicle in the area. That vehicle belonged to Reynolds, who was known to frequent the area of a nearby shooting range to collect brass, police said.
Reynolds confronted Barrera and Leal, who then shot him. Reynolds was later pronounced dead on the scene by first responders.
The 16-year-old fled the scene and was later found and interviewed by police. He was released to his parents and is not facing charges at this time.
Barrera and Leal fled the scene in their vehicle, taking some of Reynold's property with them, police said.
Detectives were able to locate Barrera and Leal and take the pair into custody. A Casa Grand police K-9 found the murder weapon in the desert near the crime scene. Police also said they found Reynold's property in the pair's possession.
During the investigation, police discovered that a different 16-year-old helped Barrera and Leal hide evidence of the shooting. Authorities have recommended that they be charged with tampering with evidence.
Barrera and Leal were booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center, and are facing charges of first-degree murder, third-degree burglary, and tampering with evidence.
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