Roberto Antonio Trejo pleaded guilty in April 2026 to second-degree murder for the killing of 66-year-old Frank Vitale. As part of a plea agreement, additional charges of felony escape and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person were dismissed.
The shooting occurred on October 14, 2024, in Avondale, Arizona. According to police records, Vitale had moved to the state just two days prior after retiring from a 20-year career as a custodian at Riley Avenue Elementary School in Riverhead, New York. He had purchased a home in Maricopa County where he planned to live with his sister.
Investigators say that at approximately 12 p.m., Vitale was sitting in his car after eating lunch at the Number One Buffet near North 101st Avenue and West McDowell Road…