3 arrested in deadly home invasion on Irvington

Just before 11 p.m., three armed men forced their way into a second-story apartment at 1150 E. Irvington Road between South Park and South Campbell avenues.

After knocking on the door and forcing their way in, “they ordered the three occupants to the floor and demanded money and drugs. The suspects ransacked the apartment while holding the victims at gunpoint,” said Sgt. Chris Widmer, a spokesman for the Tucson Police Department.

While the armed men were searching the apartment, a 12-year-old girl who lived there returned from a relative’s apartment in the same complex.

“She was confronted by an armed suspect at the door who pointed a rifle at her and told her to leave,” Widmer said.

The girl ran back to her relative’s apartment and told them what happened. A woman in the apartment called 911 and the girl’s relative, 40-year old Dekota Luise Estrella, headed to the apartment to investigate.

While the woman was on the phone with police, shots were fired. Police later learned a 45-year-old man inside the apartment was shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Estrella confronted the invaders outside the apartment. He was shot multiple times and died at the scene, Widmer said.

A TPD helicopter arrived at the apartment complex in time to see three men running through the parking lot. Officers found three rifles at the scene.

Arrested were Alberto Emmanuel Salas, 41; Juan Acedo-Lopez, 19; and Edward Ochoa, 39.

Each faces one count of first-degree murder, and three counts each of armed robbery, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.

Additionally, Salas faces four counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of prohibited possession of a gun and possession of a narcotic drug for sale. Acedo-Lopez and Ochoa each face three counts of aggravated assault, and Ochoa faces one count of prohibited gun possession.