Good Wednesday morning, Arizona!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for June 11, 2025; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Extreme Heat Watches, first 110s of 2025 coming to Phoenix
It's a scorcher of a week in the Valley! We're flirting with 110º nearly every day, including today. Get ready, though, because it gets even hotter just in time for Father's Day weekend!
See Kidcaster Alayah's forecast:
Protesters gathered in Peoria after HSI responded for 'drug-related' warrant, sergeant assaulted
A protest sparked in Peoria on Tuesday after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents were spotted in the area.
ABC15 was on the scene as a protest grew to approximately 100 people near 67th and Peoria avenues.
According to officials, Peoria police assisted Homeland Security Investigations with a drug-related investigation.
ABC15 crews were on scene when tensions rose after "a suspect assaulted a Peoria police sergeant as he was leaving the area to return to service." ABC15 crews saw that tensions rose between the group of protesters and police officers who held a person on the ground.
Two people attempted to obstruct the sergeant's path as he walked away, police said. After several attempts, the sergeant encountered the person. The sergeant was then assaulted, and the crowd became disruptive.
One person was taken into custody. The sergeant was not hurt.
Arizona woman files lawsuit against feds after mistaken identity arrest
A grandmother who was falsely arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service has filed a lawsuit against the federal government after agents mistakenly identified her as someone else.
The Institute for Justice filed a civil rights lawsuit on Tuesday in federal court alleging false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and search and seizure. The Institute for Justice stated the Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable false arrests, and the government must compensate victims when officers violate the Constitution.
“The officers’ misidentifying Penny was inexcusable and violated state and federal law,” said IJ Senior Attorney Paul Avelar. “To make matters worse, even if Penny had been the fugitive they were looking for, the officers’ over-the-top display of force was uncalled for, given that the fugitive was wanted only for failing to check in with a probation officer after being released from prison twenty-five years ago for nonviolent crimes.”
This lawsuit follows ABC15’s series of investigations, and after it took the federal government six months to publicly release the body camera video of Penny’s arrest.
The body camera video shows six armed U.S. Marshals falsely arresting Penny.
See how a guitar club changes lives of local youth in juvenile detention
Young people in juvenile detention are getting a chance at growth and redemption through music, thanks to an expanded partnership between Arizona State University and Maricopa County's Juvenile Detention Department.
A few detention officers started a Guitar Club, which has since grown to help even more students.
Those who help make the Guitar Club possible say it encourages positive behavior and instills confidence in kids who may have never picked up an instrument before.
ABC15's Jordan Bontke went inside the Guitar Club classroom to learn more about how this program is changing lives. Watch the full video in the player below.
A former Arizona lawmaker is indicted on charges that he forged nominating petitions
A former Republican lawmaker in Arizona has been indicted on charges that he forged signatures on his nominating petitions for his 2024 reelection campaign.
Austin Smith represented an Arizona House district in the suburbs northwest of Phoenix for one term before dropping his reelection bid in April 2024 when questions arose about signatures on his nominating petitions. He also resigned at the time as a leader of the conservative group Turning Point Action.
In campaign literature, Smith voiced support for a Republican-backed review of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County that ultimately ended without producing proof to support President Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election.
The indictment released Tuesday by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes' office charges Smith with four felonies, including one count of fraudulent schemes, and 10 misdemeanor counts of illegally signing election petitions.
