On the evening of Monday, July 31st, a shooting occurred at the Valero gas station located at 2945 East Riggs Road. Twenty-nine-year-old Robert Lee Antone, Jr. arrived at the gas station in a white passenger vehicle with his girlfriend and her nephew, to purchase beer. Believing Antone, Jr. was already impaired, the store clerk refused to sell Antone, Jr. alcohol. After becoming angry, Antone, Jr. threatened to shoot the clerk and walked out of the store.
Once outside, Antone, Jr. shot multiple rounds into the store. Some of these rounds struck a store clerk in the lower body causing serious injury. Antone, Jr. fled the store prior to police arrival with his girlfriend and her nephew in the white passenger vehicle.
About 20 minutes after the Valero shooting, a witness driving northbound on Arizona Avenue near the Germann Road intersection located the white vehicle and reported Antone, Jr. was randomly pointing the gun. Officers intercepted the vehicle near the Arizona Avenue and Pecos Road intersection where Antone, Jr. fired several rounds at the officers. One of these rounds struck a passer by traveling eastbound on Pecos Road, causing serious injury.
Antone, Jr. ordered his girlfriend to flee police. They fled southbound on Arizona Avenue and onto the Gila River Indian Community. During the pursuit, officers successfully deployed spike strips, flattening at least one tire on the white passenger vehicle. Antone, Jr. was taken into custody without incident about a mile south of Hunt Highway on State Route 587.
Antone, Jr. will be booked into jail on multiple felony charges to include Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, and Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person.
Thank you to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Phoenix Police, and Mesa Police for their assistance.