Manuel Avechuco, a 44-year-old Hispanic male, was fatally shot in Tucson, Arizona, on the night of September 13, 2024. The incident occurred near Mission Manor Park, where Avechuco had arranged to meet a woman to sell her drugs. This meeting, however, was a setup for a robbery orchestrated by the woman and her boyfriend.
The woman, 24-year-old Ambernovana Guadalupe Gradillas, had contacted Avechuco and planned the supposed drug deal.
As per the arrangement, she entered Avechuco's car to purchase a small amount of cocaine. Shortly after, her boyfriend, Alejandro Ray Gamez, approached the vehicle. Finding the driver's side door locked, he went to the passenger side where Gradillas was seated. Gamez then shot Avechuco. Despite his injuries, Avechuco managed to drive a short distance before collapsing out of the car. Gradillas then took control of the vehicle and fled the scene with Gamez. Tucson Police officers responded to a call about the shooting around 10:30 p.m. and found Avechuco in the roadway on West Calle Evelina near South Calle Pinta. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly identified Gradillas as a person of interest. Following her arrest, she provided details of the plan to rob Avechuco, implicating herself and Gamez. The investigation further revealed their involvement in a series of armed robberies. On September 14, when police located Gamez at an apartment complex, he fired at the officers, damaging a patrol car, before taking his own life. Gradillas was subsequently charged with felony murder, as well as multiple counts of armed robbery and aggravated robbery for her role in the crime spree.
