AC repairman claims self-defense in fatal shooting, says victim attacked him

Angie Forburger | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Initial appearance of Robert Moore Robert Moore faces a court commissioner for the first time. He is accused of fatally shooting 41-year-old Frank Pineda on July 20, 2018, in Surprise.

Investigators from the Surprise Police Department waited for days to see if bruises would appear on Robert Moore's face.

If Moore's account was true — that he was punched at least four times in the jaw — surely there would be swelling or bruising.

But three days later, Moore's face showed no signs of a beating, and the fists of the dead man he's accused of shooting in the head didn't appear to have delivered any blows, according to court records obtained Wednesday by The Arizona Republic.

Moore, 26, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old Frank Pineda. He was being held Wednesday in a Maricopa County jail on a $1 million bond.

Moore, an air-conditioning repairman, told police he was working in Pineda's garage Friday when Pineda came out and demanded half of his money back and told Moore to leave. Moore said he dropped the money on the ground and was packing up when Pineda started punching him in the face, specifically on the left jawline.

RELATED: 'We've cried yesterday all day': Family of man fatally shot by repairman

According to court records, Moore told Pineda that he "had a gun," but Pineda continued to punch Moore "harder than he's ever been punched before," Moore said.

Moore said that as Pineda was "coming down on top of him," he had no choice but to pull out his gun and shoot Pineda in the head, records show.

A medical examiner who performed Pineda's autopsy noted the lack of bruising or injury to Pineda's hands, which would have been apparent if he had been involved in a fight. The examiner also noted the lack of stippling — gunshot residue that would normally be present when a gun is fired in close proximity.

When police followed up with Moore on Monday, he continued to claim he had been beaten, but instead said his right jawline was sore as opposed to his left.

Police said in court records that they had also contacted the registered owner of the murder weapon. The owner told police the gun had been taken from his trailer without permission and he wished to report it stolen, according to court records.

When Moore was taken into custody Tuesday, police say they found a loaded gun beneath the front seat of his work truck, as well as a bag of marijuana and a glass marijuana pipe with burnt residue.

In addition to second-degree murder, Moore is also facing charges of aggravated assault, use of a weapon in a drug offense and possession of marijuana.

Moore's next court hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. July 31.

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