18-03-2025
2 men indicted on felony charges in Phoenix gas station murder
Two men have been indicted by a grand jury on multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the killing of a Phoenix gas station customer in February, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Monday.
Isaac Lechuga and Arturo Vazquez-Rodriguez, both 19 at the time, robbed someone at gunpoint at a QuikTrip near 25th Avenue and Camelback Road in the early morning of Feb. 21, with one performing the robbery while the other stayed in a truck as a lookout, according to law enforcement investigators.
The two then drove to another QuikTrip near 27th Avenue and Thomas Road, where they shot Naul Hernandez, 55, while he was pumping gas, officials said. Police previously described the incident as a "botched robbery."
Police later identified a truck, captured on surveillance video, that left the armed robbery scene just before the shooting. Detectives and the tactical unit located the truck and identified both the vehicle and its owners, police said.
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Police arrested and booked Lechuga and Vazquez-Rodriguez into jail later that day.
A court document dated Feb. 27 states they were indicted on first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault charges.
Vazquez-Rodriguez was being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, and Lechuga was being held on a $1 million secured appearance bond, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. A cash-only bond requires the payment of the full amount; a secured appearance bond requires only 10% of the bond amount in cash, while the rest can be secured through personal assets.
Their trial was scheduled for Oct. 30, though that date is likely to be pushed back due to the complexity of homicide cases.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Men involved in Phoenix gas station murder indicted on felony charges
