Man dies after being shot during Mesa drug deal; 3 homicide suspects arrested
Man dies after being shot during Mesa drug deal; 3 homicide suspects arrested
Three men were arrested after a man died after being shot inside his car during a drug deal in Mesa.
MESA, Ariz. - Three men were arrested after a man died after being shot inside his car during a drug deal in Mesa.
According to police, Chase Lemons, 18, died after he was shot in his car on March 20 near Baseline and Crismon Roads. A male passenger in the vehicle was also shot, but he survived his injuries.
"At the time of the homicide a suspect was not able to be identified and there was very little physical evidence to work with at the crime scene," police said in a news release.
During their investigation, police learned that three suspects, identified as 20-year-old Devon O'Rourke, 19-year-old Isaiah Enriquez, and 18-year-old Richard Mejia, planned on robbing Lemons during a drug sale.
"The suspects approached the vehicle when he [Lemons] was sitting inside his car with an adult male passenger," police said. "[Lemons] attempted to flee the area in his car when one of the suspects opened fire, striking both Lemons and his passenger."
Isaiah Enriquez,19, Richard Mejia, 18, and Devon O'Rourke, 20, were arrested in connection to the murder of 18-year-old Chase Lemons on March 20 in Mesa.
Lemons was taken to a hospital after the shooting but died at the hospital.
After interviewing multiple witnesses and executing search warrants, police say a gun matching the caliber of the weapon used to kill Lemons was found and linked to Enriquez.
O'Rourke, Enriquez, and Mejia were arrested and booked into jail. They are accused of first-degree murder and armed robbery. Enriquez is also accused of aggravated assault.
Enriquez is being held on a $2 million bond. Mejia is being held on a $1 million bond. O'Rourke is jailed on a $350,000 bond.