‘Chose to do the unimaginable’: 22-year-old sentenced after randomly killing a man at buffet

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) - A 22-year-old will spend two decades behind bars for randomly killing a man at a buffet in Arizona, according to authorities.

Roberto Antonio Trejo, 22, was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison for the murder of 66-year-old Frank Anthony Vitale in Avondale nearly two years ago, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on Friday.

It happened around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in the parking lot of Number 1 Buffet. Prosecutors say Vitale had just finished lunch at the buffet and was in the front seat of his car when Trejo approached.

Without warning, Trejo then shot Vitale through the car window and ran away. Vitale died at the scene.

Officers arrived on scene and began searching the area with the help of the Avondale Police Real Time Crime Center. The suspect was found nearby and arrested minutes later.

Investigators say there was seemingly no motive and no connection between Trejo and Vitale. It’s believed the shooting was random.

Trejo had been released from prison five months earlier and was on supervised probation at the time of the shooting.

The county attorney’s office says Vitale was about to retire and had recently bought a home, where he planned to live with his sister. He had arrived in Arizona to prepare for the move two days before he was killed.

“No amount of time will be enough to make up for the pain and suffering this defendant has caused,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “At 20 years old, he had the opportunity to improve his behavior but instead chose to do the unimaginable and take a life. Thanks to the work of homicide prosecutor Daniel Strange, this defendant will no longer be a threat to the community.”

In April, Trejo pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder as part of a deal that dropped two other charges.