On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2020, Mauricio Omar Perez, a 24-year-old male, was working as a clerk at the Valero gas station on South Quebec Street and East County Line Road in Centennial, Colorado. That evening, at approximately 6:45 p.m., a man entered the gas station and committed an armed robbery. The suspect, brandishing a handgun, demanded money and cigarettes from Perez.
Perez complied with the robber's demands, filling a shopping bag with the requested items.
After handing the bag over, the assailant shot him. The suspect then fled the scene. Perez was critically injured and transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and passed away. The perpetrator was initially described as a white male, and the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office released images to the public in an appeal for assistance in identifying him.
The investigation led authorities to Samuel Birch. A key witness in the case was Birch's ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Olson. She testified that Birch had confessed to the robbery and showed her the stolen cash. Olson also stated that Birch had burned clothing in their apartment's fireplace to destroy evidence and avoid being identified from surveillance footage. Evidence collected from Birch's apartment and car included. 22-caliber ammunition that matched the bullet used in the shooting. Additionally, one of his gloves tested positive for gunshot residue.
In March 2022, Samuel Birch stood trial at the Arapahoe County District Court. After a four-day trial, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, and tampering with physical evidence. On April 25, 2022, a judge sentenced Birch to life in prison for the murder convictions, with additional sentences for the robbery and tampering charges.
