Pinal County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Andrew Matthew Salazar, 27 of Casa Grande on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, , on charges of 2nd Degree Murder stemming from an incident that occurred on October 11, 2013 that resulted in the shooting and death of Robert DeArman, III of Florence, who was 27 .
A thorough, 15-month long investigation was conducted by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, which indicated Salazar was the person who fired the weapon ultimately causing the death of DeArman. The case was presented to a Pinal County Grand Jury and upon receipt of an indictment and warrant, Detectives took Salazar into custody.
The investigation began Friday, October 11, 2013 at approximately 11:23 pm, when the Pinal County Sheriff’s Dispatchers received a report of an accidental shooting in the 10200 block of North Highway 79 in Florence.
When Deputies and medics arrived on scene, DeArman was pronounced deceased and he was found to have a single gunshot wound to the chest. When Detectives arrived it was determined the victim and three other friends were drinking heavily from about 6:00 pm until the time of the shooting.
Salazar was indicted on one count of 2nd Degree Murder and one count of Misconduct involving weapons as a prohibited possessor. He is currently confined in the Pinal County Sheriff’s Jail on a $100,000 bond.
Sheriff Babeu stated, “Initial statements regarding the accidental nature of this incident conflicted with evidence uncovered throughout this investigation. We believe Andrew Salazar’s actions were reckless, without regard for human life and led to the murder of Robert DeArman. I commend our Detectives and Deputies for their dedication to ensuring justice is not denied for this victim or his family.”