Jury finds repairman not guilty in shooting death of customer in Surprise

PHOENIX - A jury has returned a "not guilty" verdict in the second-degree murder case of a repairman who is accused of killing a customer.

Robert Moore, a 27-year-old who has been behind bars since his arrest in July 2018, says the customer attacked him, and he shot him in self-defense. Now, he is exonerated.

Robert Moore

When the death happened in 2018, Moore was at a Surprise home for a job to fix an air conditioning unit. Moore and the homeowner, 41-year-old Frank Pineda, got into an argument that turned into a physical fight.

Body cam video taken by Surprise Police officers who first arrived on the scene shows Pineda's family in a frantic mode, while Pineda lay motionless on the ground in the family's garage.

As firefighters arrive and begin to work on Pineda, another officer finds Moore down the street, still inside his repair van. He had left the home and called 911.

Moore told police Pineda was upset that the repair was taking so long, and demanded half of the $200 back, which he had already paid.

Moore then threw a $100 bill on the ground, and that's when Moore says Pineda suddenly started beating him. Moore said he was on the ground and Pineda was on top of him. One round was then fired, which hit Pineda in the head.

Frank Pineda

From the beginning, Moore has maintained that he shot Pineda in self-defense.

Police, and relatives, did not believe Moore when he said he shot in self-defense. Meanwhile, Moore's public defender told the jury that Pineda was high on meth at the time of the incident.

In court video taken on Wednesday, Pineda's family, off-camera, can be heard slamming a wall and walking out angrily, while Moore and his attorneys congratulate each other.

Pineda's family did not want to speak about the jury's decision. Meanwhile, Moore is expected to be released soon.