On the night of October 24, 2015, in Walla Walla, Washington, a burst of gunfire outside a local tavern tragically ended the life of 23-year-old Juan Pedro Martinez. Another man, Andrew Solis, was also wounded in the shooting. The incident was quickly identified by law enforcement as being gang-related.
In the days following the shooting, an investigation led to the arrest of four men. Emanuel A. Pantaleon, brothers Birzavit Carmona-Hernandez and Antonio Carmona-Hernandez, and Roberto R.
Arroyo were charged with murder, assault, and intimidating a witness. Investigators stated that the men were members of a local gang. While Solis had previous ties to the gang, reports indicated that Martinez had no gang affiliation.
Ultimately, Roberto Arroyo, then 26 years old, pleaded guilty to murder and assault in March of the following year as part of a plea agreement. In June 2016, a Superior Court judge sentenced Arroyo to over 29 years in prison for fatally shooting Juan Pedro Martinez. The sentence also included a firearm enhancement. During the sentencing, Arroyo had an outburst in court, shouting obscenities at the judge and police officers.
