In the summer of 2019, a violent encounter on an Arizona interstate claimed the life of a young woman. Marilynn Patricia Pacheco, a 25-year-old female, was shot and killed on Saturday, June 29, 2019, near Green Valley. Pacheco was a passenger in a vehicle traveling northbound on Interstate 19 when another car pulled alongside and opened fire.
The gunfire struck Pacheco, as well as a 29-year-old man and a 3-year-old girl who were also in the vehicle.
All three victims were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Tragically, Marilynn Patricia Pacheco was pronounced dead at Banner University Medical Center. The man and the young child were treated for their gunshot wounds and were later released.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to 21-year-old Mateo Dina Zavala of Santa Ana, California. It was discovered that Zavala and Pacheco had a prior dating relationship. According to reports, the shooting was not a random act of violence. Court documents revealed that Zavala had been following the vehicle after seeing them leave a family member's home and had been arguing with one of the victims on the phone just moments before the fatal shots were fired.
Following the incident, a Border Patrol agent was the first to arrive on the scene. Zavala identified himself as the shooter and surrendered to the agent without incident. He was taken into custody and booked into the Pima County Sheriff's Office Jail. Zavala faced multiple charges, including first-degree homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, endangerment, and one count of a drive-by shooting.
