Murder charge for Army vet in July shooting death
Authorities have arrested an Army veteran in connection with the July death of a man found shot at an apartment complex near Baldwin Park.
Samuel Shultz, 29, was arrested in California on first-degree murder charges. He’s accused of shooting Alrowdonais Vasquez — whose body was found at the Avenues of Baldwin Park Apartments off Semoran Boulevard — over drugs, according to court documents.
Deputies found Vasquez’s decomposing body in a car in the parking lot of the complex July 6. There were four cellphones, a large amount of money and a handgun in the car with Vasquez, who had been shot once in the head, records show.
Authorities discovered that Shultz was in constant communication with Vasquez until July 3 and was the last person to contact him. His fingerprint also was found on the car.
An investigation revealed that Vasquez had sold drugs to Shultz multiple times. Shultz had previously robbed Vasquez at knifepoint for drugs, according to court records.
Investigators learned Shultz fled to California to live with a friend.
The friend told authorities Shultz had a gallon-sized bag of heroin, a golf ball-sized bag of cocaine and a .40-caliber handgun when he arrived in California, and admitted to shooting someone to get the drugs, records show.
Shultz’s parents told deputies that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and uses drugs, according to court documents.
He was extradited to the Orange County Jail from a California jail Monday. He is being held without bond.