In regard to the fatal shooting that occurred at a residence in Chino Valley on December 19th, 2021, preliminary investigation revealed that the victim responded to the residence in 1500 block of Golden Drive in order to contact the suspect for some type of property exchange. During their interaction, the suspect produced a handgun and fatally shot the victim in the face/neck. The victim was identified as 47-year-old Gabino Terrazas Saenz, of Phoenix Arizona. The suspect was identified as 62-year-old Christopher Wendt, of Chino Valley Arizona. Wendt was arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail, in Camp Verde, on homicide related charges.
No further information will be released in order to maintain the integrity of the case. As with all arrests and/or persons charged with a criminal offense, the suspect is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty through due process of law.
The Chino Valley Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact us at (928) 771-3260. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report any information to Silent Witness at (800) 932-3232 or on the web at www.yavapaisw.com.