A tragic turn of events unfolded last Monday when 40-year-old Blake Hurlbert was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Home Depot on Dobson Road near Rio Salado Parkway in Mesa. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the incident took place just after 11:30 a.m. and resulted from an "altercation between the adults involved," Mesa Police stated. The suspect, 27-year-old Mario Montes, was arrested and booked into jail on second-degree murder charges.
Further unsettling details emerged when court documents cited by AZFamily revealed that Montes called 911 to report the shooting, claiming he killed someone he did not know after feeling blocked and crossed in front of. "as soon as the other man walked up to his car window, he 'just f***ing shot him.'" Montes reportedly told the operator. At the scene, police found Hurlbert suffering from three gunshot wounds near his Ford F-150, and despite being rushed to the hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries.
While the suspect Montes stayed at the scene, he refused to speak with police. A 9mm handgun and three spent shell casings were recovered from Montes' car, but Hurlbert's vehicle yielded no such weapons. A co-worker of the victim, who arrived later, spoke to the officers explaining Hurlbert's role as the superintendent of a construction company working next to the Home Depot, seemed to be unaware of any confrontations between Hurlbert and someone resembling Montes.
Surveillance footage is being scrutinized, which shows the two vehicles arriving at the home improvement store, said AZFamily. Further adding to the sequence of events, an employee of a nearby Walmart captured cellphone video revealing the distressing aftermath as Hurlbert, mortally wounded, attempted to pull himself up before his strength gave out. Investigations continue as detectives piece together what exactly sparked the fatal encounter.
