Tristen Lee Alvarez (Casa Grande Police Department)
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. - A 37-year-old man is dead and Casa Grande police are urgently searching for a 21-year-old suspect considered armed and dangerous following a fatal shooting outside a local bar early Saturday morning.
What we know:
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at about 1:45 a.m. in the parking lot of the Airport Tavern, located at 1801 North Pinal Ave. When police arrived, they found the victim, identified as Jacob Encinas, suffering from a single gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspected shooter, identified by authorities as Tristen Lee Alvarez, fled the area before officers arrived and remains on the run. Investigators say the deadly violence stemmed from a verbal altercation between the two men in the parking lot just before the shots were fired. No other injuries were reported.
What they're saying:
"Alvarez is currently being sought by law enforcement and should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees Alvarez or knows his current location should not approach him and should immediately contact law enforcement," Casa Grande police stated. "Detectives have collected significant evidence related to this investigation, and the crime scene has been processed and reopened to the general public."
Local perspective:
Four hours later, Casa Grande police responded to a separate critical incident on West Orchid Place, about 2 miles south-west of the Airport Tavern, where an erratic 49-year-old woman barricaded herself inside a home and fired a shot toward responding officers. Following an unsuccessful SWAT negotiation, officers deployed a drone inside the home and found the woman dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Alvarez or details regarding the incident is asked to contact Casa Grande Police Detective T. Miller at 520-840-2824. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling Silent Witness at 520-836-2100.
Map of where the fatal shooting occurred:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Casa Grande Police Department.