In the warm, late evening of July 20, 2022, a burst of violence on Tucson's south side tragically claimed the life of 25-year-old Francisco Javier Espriu. Pima County Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene of a shooting in the 5100 block of South 12th Avenue at approximately 10 p.m. There they discovered Espriu suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically, he did not survive his injuries.
The investigation into the untimely death of Francisco
Espriu moved swiftly. Homicide detectives with the Pima County Sheriff's Department quickly identified a person of interest. Their inquiries led them to 18-year-old Jesus Cervantes. Less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting, on July 21, 2022, members of the sheriff's Fugitive Investigative Unit located Cervantes at a residence in the 5300 block of South 16th Avenue.
Jesus Cervantes was taken into custody without incident, bringing a swift, though somber, development to the case. He was subsequently booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex. Cervantes faced a serious charge of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Francisco Javier Espriu. The community was left to mourn the loss of a young life as the judicial process against the accused began.
