On the evening of August 9, 2018, a family gathering in Wittmann, Arizona, turned into a scene of tragedy, leaving three men dead, including 22-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Adrian Miramontes. The young father was at the home of his fiancée, located near Poplar and Myers streets, along with her father, Juan Rios, and her brother, Julio Rios, when the fatal shooting occurred.
Earlier in the evening, the men had been drinking with an acquaintance, Hermelindo Guzman Sanchez. At some point, an argument ensued, and Miramontes asked Sanchez to leave the residence. Sanchez departed but returned a short time later, allegedly opening fire on the three men. Miramontes, along with Juan and Julio Rios, were all shot and killed. A witness at the scene heard five to seven gunshots and had to take cover while holding a 10-month-old child.
In the aftermath of the shooting, deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office responded to the home and found the three victims with gunshot wounds; they were pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation quickly led them to Hermelindo Guzman Sanchez, who was found at his own nearby residence and taken into custody. Six shell casings were recovered from the scene of the crime.
Sanchez was subsequently arrested and booked into jail on three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of endangerment. His bond was set at $1 million. At the time of his death, Adrian Miramontes was a new father to an 11-month-old daughter and was engaged to be married to his fiancée, who was eight months pregnant with their second child.
