In the early morning hours of April 8, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded at a smoke shop on Tucson's south side that claimed the life of 28-year-old Omar Hernandez-Altamirano. The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. when Tucson Police officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting at a smoke shop located at 5342 S. Park Ave.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Hernandez-Altamirano inside a vehicle, suffering from obvious signs of gunshot trauma.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts, including CPR administered by the officers, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives were called in to take over the investigation.
Detectives determined that Hernandez-Altamirano had been involved in a physical altercation with a man in front of the smoke shop. During this confrontation, another individual, identified as Honorio Juan Nieblas, discharged a firearm, striking Hernandez-Altamirano. Following the shooting, several people, including Nieblas, fled the area in a white pickup truck.
Through their investigation, officers were able to locate the white pickup truck at a residence in the 2100 block of E. Honeysuckle St. Detectives, with the assistance of the Tucson SWAT team, responded to the home where they took Honorio Juan Nieblas into custody. Nieblas was subsequently charged with 1st Degree Murder and being a Prohibited Possessor. He was booked into the Pima County Jail.
