Frank Vitale, a 66-year-old man preparing for retirement, was shot and killed in an Avondale, Arizona parking lot last October by a stranger who had no apparent motive, authorities said.
Background
Vitale had just finished lunch at Number 1 Buffet on West Van Buren Street in Avondale, a suburb of Phoenix. As he sat in his car in the restaurant's parking lot shortly after noon on Oct. 14, 2024, Roberto Antonio Trejo approached and without warning pointed a handgun through the window, prosecutors said.
Surveillance video captured Trejo walking away from the scene and looking over his shoulder as he fled. Officers with the Avondale Police Department apprehended Trejo approximately 45 minutes later. Authorities recovered a handgun on him at the time of his arrest.
Investigators determined that Trejo and Vitale were strangers with no prior connection. The shooting appeared to be completely unprovoked, according to prosecutors.
The Charges
Trejo, who was 22 years old at the time of his arrest, was charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty in April to the charge and was sentenced this week to 20 years in Arizona state prison by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Margaret LaLonde.
Court records revealed that Trejo had been released from an Arizona Department of Corrections facility just five months before the shooting following an aggravated assault conviction. He remained on probation at the time of the killing, prosecutors said.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell highlighted the senseless nature of the crime in a statement: "At 20 years old, he had the opportunity to improve his behavior but instead chose to do the unimaginable and take a life."
Key Takeaways
- Frank Vitale was killed while sitting in his car after lunch at Number 1 Buffet in Avondale on Oct. 14, 2024
- Roberto Antonio Trejo approached the vehicle and fired through the window without any warning or apparent motive
- The victim and suspect were strangers who had never met before the shooting
- Trejo was on probation following an aggravated assault conviction when he committed the murder
- Vitale had recently purchased a home in Arizona where he planned to live with his sister after retiring from Home Depot
What's Next
Trejo will serve his 20-year sentence through the Arizona Department of Corrections. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office noted that homicide prosecutor Daniel Strange handled the case, which has now concluded with Trejo's guilty plea and sentencing.
Vitale's family had planned for him to relocate permanently to Arizona after retirement. According to his obituary, he previously lived on Long Island, New York.