Two arrested after killing of Arizona City resident near Casa Grande gun range

CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of an Arizona City resident early Saturday morning in Casa Grande.

Casa Grande residents 21-year-old Roberto Barrera and 20-year-old Victor Leal have been arrested in connection with the March 11th murder of 30-year-old Julian Reynolds. Both men face various charges, such as first-degree murder, third-degree burglary, and tampering with evidence.

Around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, Casa Grande Police responded to reports of a shooting near Isom Road near Elzy Pearson Shooting Range. Officers found Reynolds, who appeared to have died from multiple gunshot wounds, on Isom Road when they arrived. A witness told investigators that Barrera, Leal, and a teenager were driving in the area when they ran out of gas.

When they called another friend to bring them gas, the men decided to steal Reynold’s car while he was near the range collecting brass casings. Reynolds confronted the two, and that’s when the shooting happened. The 16-year-old ran away from the area, and the two men took some of Reynolds’s personal items, got into his car, and sped away. Officers soon found where the men lived and were soon able to arrest them. Casa Grande Police Department’s K9 Blitz found the murder weapon in the desert near the scene.

Another 16-year-old was later found to be hiding evidence for Barrera and Leal and will face charges of Tampering with Evidence. The teenager who fled the scene has since been released to his parents with no charges.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.