On the evening of September 30, 2015, 50-year-old Walter Salazar was shot to death in Grants, New Mexico. The Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office says investigators concluded the killing occurred during a robbery that escalated.

In the days after the shooting, Cibola County law enforcement arrested three local youths. Authorities charged 19-year-old Octavio Sanchez and 18-year-old Jeremiah Becenti with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence. A 16-year-old male was also charged with murder and conspiracy; his name was not released due to his age.

The arrests and the prosecution’s description of a planned robbery that turned deadly shocked the community.