Two men, including one ASU student, were shot dead in Mesa early Wednesday, and a suspect is in police custody, Mesa Police reported.
The two men were identified by police as Tyler Webster, a pre-med biochemistry major, and Olek Wladyszewski, who was not enrolled at ASU.
The suspect in custody is 21-year-old Jesus Antonio Busso Estopellan. Police arrested Estopellan Thursday on suspicion of the double homicide after examining cell phone records and finding that Wladyszewski and Estopellan had been communicating with him through text message.
In an interview with police, Estopellan said he had brokered a marijuana deal from Wladyszewski to someone identified only as "a Jamaican," according to court records obtained by The State Press.
The "Jamaican" did not honor the terms of the purchase and threatened Estopellan and his family, Estopellan said in a statement to police, according to the records. The "Jamaican" then told him to kill Wladyszewski.
Estopellan arranged a meeting with Wladyszewski to sell an unidentified type of pills, but did not expect Webster to be traveling with him. He then said he shot both Wladyszewski and Webster, according to court records.
Estopellan then said he disposed of the gun and his clothing, according to the records. Police said the gun and clothing were found where Estopellan said he left them.
"I asked the defendant if his intent was to kill the victims, and he stated his original plan was just to kill Olek [Wladyszewski] and when he saw Webster with Olek, he shot him because he could identify him," an investigating officer said in the documents.
Wladyszewski was arrested in May on suspicion of drug paraphernalia, narcotics and marijuana violations, according to court documents.
Webster made a 911 call at about 1:15 a.m. after he and Wladyszewski were shot near the intersection of East Southern Avenue and South Crimson Road in east Mesa, and he identified the shooter as a Hispanic male in his 20s, police said.
Upon arrival, police found Wladyszewski dead in the driver’s seat of a car and Webster badly injured and unconscious in the passenger’s seat. Webster was taken by air to a local hospital where he later died.
Webster and Wladyszewski were both residents of Mesa, but not living there at the time, police said.
In an appearance before a judge, Estopellan was jailed without bond as he awaits trial.
Reach the reporter at clecher@asu.edu
