Tree trimmer mistaken for intruder shot dead outside home, Arizona police say

A man who mistook a gardener sent by his landlord for an intruder shot him dead, Arizona police told news outlets.

Manuel Vega Lopez, 51, died of gunshot wounds following a confrontation outside a Gilbert home shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 19, police said in a news release.

Officers arrested Wyatt Ford, 28, on a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting, police said.

Court records said Ford told officers he confronted Vega Lopez after he thought he recognized his pickup truck as one seen in the neighborhood when someone broke into his trailer a few nights earlier, KPNX reported.

But Vega Lopez had been hired by Ford’s landlord to trim trees on the property, according to court records obtained by KNXV. He had visited the home a few days earlier to confirm the job.

Court documents said Ford had earlier replied to a message sent by the landlord notifying him about the impending landscaping work, The Arizona Republic reported.

Ford shot Vega Lopez four times after the men were heard arguing, the publication said.

Neighbor Charles Podratz told KPNX that he ran outside after hearing the shots and found Ford “hysterical.”

“He was crying. He was really upset at what had happened,” Podratz said. He told the station he tried to perform CPR on Vega Lopez.

An investigation into the shooting continues, police said.

Gilbert is about a 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Phoenix.

This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Tree trimmer mistaken for intruder shot dead outside home, Arizona police say."