Casa Grande man sentenced to 28 years for murder of Good Samaritan who tried to break up fight
FLORENCE, AZ (September 28th, 2023) - A Casa Grande man has been sentenced to 28 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for the murder of an innocent bystander who tried to break up a fight between the suspect and the suspect’s girlfriend.
On September 28th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Daniel Washburn sentenced Giovanni Olivieri, 24, to 28 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by community supervision.
A jury found Olivieri guilty of Second Degree Murder, a Class One Felony; Endangerment, a Class Six Felony; Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm Within City Limits, a Class Six Felony; Disorderly Conduct, a Class One Misdemeanor; and Assault, a Class Two Misdemeanor.
The jury found 12 aggravating factors in this case and the judge determined the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors.
In September, 2021, the Casa Grande Police Department responded to a hotel in the 700 block of North Pinal Avenue for reports of a shooting. Officers located an injured man on the ground in the parking lot, along with multiple shell casings. Witnesses told officers that the suspect, later identified as Olivieri, was arguing with his girlfriend in the parking lot and even grabbed her by the hair and neck area and dragged her across the lot.
During the altercation, another man, Brian Robinette, 35, came across the parking lot and approached the couple in an attempt to get Olivieri to let go of his girlfriend. Robinette did not know the couple and was an innocent bystander trying to help. When approached, Olivieri let go of his girlfriend and shot Robinette. In total, Olivieri shot Robinette eight times.
There were multiple witnesses to the shooting, who were also endangered by the gunfire. The incident was captured on surveillance video.
At sentencing, loved ones remembered Robinette as a loving father to two kids, someone who loved music and playing guitar, and those who spoke expressed the huge emotional impact Robinette’s death has left on his family and friends.
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