A man who police say died of suicide Saturday during a short pursuit in which he fired at an officer has been linked to the killing of an accomplice in a Tucson armed robbery, police say.
Police had been looking for Alejandro Ray Gamez, 26, since he was implicated in the killing of Angel Reyes Martinez, 35, whose body was found Tuesday at Manuel Herrera Jr. Park, near South Liberty Avenue and West Drexel Road, Tucson police said in a news release.
It was during the investigation of the killing of Martinez that police say they linked him and Gamez to an armed robbery hours earlier at a smoke shop in the 1700 block of East Speedway.
In that incident, two gunmen assaulted an employee after demanding money from the store register.
This surveillance video shows two gunman who robbed a Tucson smoke shop last week, wounding the clerk. Hours later police say one of the alleged robbers killed his partner then days later died of suicide during a short pursuit.
One of the gunmen also shot at the worker, who was not struck, police said in the news release. The worker did, however, βsustain sharp-force trauma from the assault,β the release said.
The shop owner previously told Star columnist Tim Steller the worker fought the the robbers, a violation of store policy. The worker was treated at the hospital for his injuries.
Detectives believe that hours after the robbery, Gamez fatally shot Martinez at the park. They also linked Gamez to other recent armed robberies, the release said.
About 5 a.m. Saturday, police spotted Gamez in a car that stopped at an apartment complex in the 3900 block of North Stone Avenue.
As he got out of the car, police say Gamez shot at a sergeant who had pulled into the complex, striking the patrol car.
Gamez then ran through the courtyard, hid in a stairwell and fatally shot himself, the release said.
The investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to call 88-CRIME, the anonymous tips line.
