On August 5, 2017, just after 3:00 p.m. Tucson Police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a pawn store located at 3650 N. 1st Ave. Upon arrival, officers learned four subjects entered the store and one was armed with pepper spray. The subject sprayed employees and customers in the face and demanded everyone to get on the ground.
The other subjects, armed with large sledgehammers or bats, went behind the counter and began breaking the display cases. The subjects fled the store with various amounts of jewelry and handguns. They were last seen running northbound on 1st Ave. The Tucson Fire Department responded to the scene to evaluate the 25 people that had been inside the store. No one was transported to a hospital for further evaluation. Officers conducted interviews to obtain possible suspect and vehicle descriptions. Those descriptions were broadcasted for responding officers.
The officers and members of the Tucson Real-Time Analytical Crime Center (TRACC) immediately began working leads. Within minutes of the 911 call, an officer located a vehicle in the area of E. Hedrick Dr. and N. Olsen Ave. with two adult males standing outside, possibly related to the armed robbery. As the officer attempted contact, one of the males walked away and the other fled in the vehicle. The vehicle was later located in the parking lot of the shopping complex at N. Campbell Ave. and E. Blacklidge Dr., unoccupied. Officers from Operations Division Midtown responded to assist. Both men were located at businesses in the complex and detained without incident.
Officers continued to search the area and, with the assistance of employees of the businesses and citizens, located two additional males possibly associated to the armed robbery. A fifth male possibly involved was seen walking northbound on Campbell Ave. from E. Blacklidge Dr. The male fled on foot and discarded a bag he was carrying. After a short foot pursuit, the male was detained by officers. The bag was located and contained jewelry and handguns stolen from the pawn store.
The five males detained were identified as 25-year-old Freddie J. Salazar, 26-year-old Samuel A. Flores, 30-year-old Michael Martinez Jr., 27-year-old Adrian A. Martinez and 24-year-old Victor G. Pereyra. All five men were arrested for 4 counts of Armed Robbery (a class 2 Felony) and 4 counts of Aggravated Robbery (a class 3 Felony). They were transported and booked into the Pima County Jail.