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Teens arrested in deaths of Phoenix coffee shop employees

Posted 8/21/19

Phoenix police have made two arrests in connection to the shooting deaths of two coffee shop employees last October.

The Phoenix Police Department said they developed probable cause to arrest …

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Teens arrested in deaths of Phoenix coffee shop employees

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Phoenix police have made two arrests in connection to the shooting deaths of two coffee shop employees last October.

The Phoenix Police Department said they developed probable cause to arrest Antonio Palafox-Zermeno, 16, and Castulo Cervantes, 15, on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and attempted armed robbery.

The teens are being named as authorities are charging them as adults.

They are suspects in the Oct. 5, 2018 armed robbery and shootings that killed Zachary Walter, 24, and David Bessent, 41. The two victims were identified as employees of Jobot Coffee & Bar.

Mr. Walter and Mr. Bessent were leaving work and were in the area of 3rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street when they were shot during an armed robbery. Both men died from their injuries.

Police said the suspects fled from the scene in a white Dodge Durango. Authorities provided that information to the community and detectives have been working diligently on the case, according to a release.

Eventually, detectives developed probable cause that Palafox-Zermeno and Cervantes were suspects in the robbery and homicides. Palafox-Zermeno was arrested Monday near 27th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road while Cervantes was arrested Sunday night near 32nd Street and Thomas Road.

Court documents released by the Maricopa County Superior Court don't detail the teens' alleged involvement, but they were booked in the Fourth Avenue Jail on active felony warrants. Judges set their bonds at $1 million. They have arraignment hearings Aug. 27.

The investigation is still ongoing, and detectives believe there were at least two more suspects involved.

Anyone with information on the case can call the Phoenix Police Department Violent Crimes Bureau at 602-262-6141 or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.