Valley man arrested for murder in Walmart parking lot
GLENDALE, Ariz. Aug 21 2021— A 32-year-old Tolleson man has been arrested on suspicion of killing a motorist in the parking lot of a Walmart in Glendale.
Sammy Mendoza was taken into custody on Saturday after he allegedly fired his gun at a man who crashed into his vehicle outside the Walmart near Northern and 55th avenues.
According to the Glendale Police Department, the victim, identified as 30-year-old Baseme Mirindi John, was found in his vehicle with gunshot wounds sustained to his torso area.
Security footage captured the victim’s car hitting another vehicle parked outside Walmart, prompting a man and woman to exit the second car.
As the couple approached the victim’s car, the victim reversed his car and struck the couple’s car again, police said.
The man could then be seen firing a gun toward the victim’s car as the victim attempted to drive off.
The man and women hopped back in their car and exited Walmart’s parking lot, a police report shows.
Authorities managed to detect a license plate number on the suspect’s car and traced it to Mendoza, whose appearance matched the man seen in the parking lot’s security footage.
Mendoza allegedly confessed to firing a gun in order to intimidate the victim, but he claimed to have not known the victim was struck by gunfire.
“Sammy advised he knew what he did was wrong and had remorse,” detectives wrote in a report.
Public records show Mendoza was released from prison earlier this year after serving a 14-year sentence for armed robbery and assault.
Mendoza was booked into the Maricopa County jail on one count of second-degree murder.
