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Phoenix police: Four more cases, 1 deadly, possibly linked to serial shooter targeting Maryvale area

Posted at 9:25 AM, Jul 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-13 20:19:25-04

Phoenix police have identified four more shooting incidents linked to a string of unsolved deadly shootings in Maryvale.

Investigators looked into incidents since January 2016 and now believe that a total of eight cases were committed by the same serial shooter or shooters. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is helping Phoenix police in solving these homicides. 

RELATED: ABC15 rides along with police in Maryvale

Police were looking into the cases before, but have only recently linked them to the ongoing serial-shooting investigation. The recently identified cases are as follows: 

  • On March 17 around 11:30 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot while walking near 11th and Moreland streets. The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.
  • On March 18 around 11:30 p.m., a 21-year-old man was shot while standing outside of his car near 73rd Avenue and Heatherbrae Drive. He suffered non-life threatening injuries.
  • On April 19 at 4:30 a.m., 55-year-old Krystal Annette White was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound in the area of 32nd and Fillmore streets.
  • On June 12 around 2:30 a.m., police say an unoccupied car was shot and damaged near 86th and Mariposa drives.

The cases that were already under investigation are as follows:

  • Police have no suspect information in the shooting of 21-year-old Diego Verdugo-Sanchez, who was killed April 1 by a suspect who shot at him from inside a vehicle  near 55th and Campbell avenues.
  • Horacio De Jesus Pena was shot and killed on June 3  near 67th Avenue and Thomas Road after returning home from work. No suspect information is known.
  • Detectives are also looking for information in the murder of Manuel Garcia near 67th Avenue and McDowell Road. The 19-year-old was in his car  when another vehicle approached and, after a brief conversation, the suspect opened fire.
  • Another shooting left 31-year-old Angela Linner and 12-year-old Maleah Ellis dead in their car near 63rd Avenue and McDowell Road. A third victim, 33-year-old Stefanie Ellis, later died at the hospital. Police said witness reported seeing a suspect leaving the area in a light-colored sedan. He is described as a Hispanic male, 30 to 35 years old, medium build, wearing red shorts and a white t-shirt, armed with a semi-automatic gun.
 

See a map of all eight cases below. The newly identified cases are shown in red:

A witness was able to provide police with a suspect description involved in one of the cases. The sketch is provided above.

Silent Witness has raised the award amount for those with information to $30,000.

“Someone out there knows who did this.  We need our community to call us or Silent Witness and help us solve these cases, bring justice to these families and victims, and prevent more violence from occurring,” said Phoenix Police Chief Joseph Yahner.

To report something that may be linked to this investigation, contact 480-WITNESS.

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