SUN CITY, Arizona — The ABC15 Investigators obtained an internal report detailing misconduct by the detective assigned to a gruesome Sun City murder case.
The investigation stemmed from a November 2020 traffic stop, but the findings were never disclosed to the defense team for George Washington Crater until after he was convicted.
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CONVICTION THROWN OUT
Police say Crater killed 70-year-old Thomas Galatola at a home near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City in 2024.
Back in 2025, ABC15 reported that the home was at the center of multiple violent deaths.
Court documents allege Galatola had fallen behind on rent payments, so Crater flew from Washington state to "confront the renter about not paying rent."
Crater reportedly sent photos of Galatola after the assault to family members and his boss, who reported the crime. A day later, Galatola told police that Crater had tied him up, beat him and cut his palm open and allegedly said, "You'll be dead this afternoon."
Shortly after making a statement to investigators, Galatola had trouble walking and was in pain. He was taken to a hospital and died of a cerebral hematoma.
A jury convicted Crater of Galatola's murder in April. The ruling overturning that verdict centered on what is known legally as “Brady” material, a requirement that any evidence capable of damaging a witness's credibility must be handed over to the defense.
A judge found the Maricopa County Attorney's Office never told the defense about a misconduct investigation into one of the detectives on the case. She also noted MCAO did not have advance knowledge of the Brady violation.
"The state's case agent withheld Brady material from both the prosecutors and defense. it was so significant that the, that the court dismissed the case," the defense attorney Adam Feldman said.
The conviction was dismissed "without prejudice," meaning the charges could be resubmitted, and they were. Crater was arrested again on the same charges.
In a statement to ABC15 earlier this month, MCAO confirmed that Ruiz is listed in its disclosure database and on the Rule 15 list for a 2020 incident but said the office was not made aware of the investigation until it was submitted to MCAO on April 23.
That date was the day after Crater was convicted.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION
An MCSO internal report, obtained by the ABC15 Investigators, shows Juan Ruiz resigned in the midst of an internal investigation.
During Crater's trial, he was asked why he took a job with Goodyear Police.
"Just, better opportunities as a law enforcement officer," Ruiz said.
An internal investigation shows he resigned amid allegations stemming from a November 2020 traffic stop.
A state trooper pulled him over and later reported Ruiz was speeding and using the HOV lane. The DPS sergeant said, at the time, she was in a fully marked car.
When she tried to signal Ruiz by flashing her floodlights, the report said Ruiz flashed red and blue lights attached to his personal car.
The records say Ruiz told the trooper he was on the way to an "off-duty job" and the lights were authorized.
"She expressed concerns about impersonating a peace officer and how if Ruiz was bold enough to flash a fully marked vehicle, he would be bold enough to flash a civilian," the report said.
Ruiz didn't receive a ticket, but the records say the "police contact" was not reported by Ruiz, as required by policy.
Almost six years later, the investigation was completed in February of this year and signed off on by a commander toward the end of March.
The investigation showed four of the seven allegations were sustained.
ABC15 also obtained a letter dated May 13, 2026, sent from Ruiz's attorney to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, asking that the former MCSO detective not be added to the Rule 15 database.
The letter disputes the findings of MCSO's internal investigation and the trooper's account of the traffic stop.
Ruiz's attorney, Chad Smith, said his client did alert his supervisors about the stop and was told "no further action was required."
Smith said Ruiz was not asked to give a statement by MCSO until February 2026.
"Officer Ruiz chose to decline giving a statement so he could continue to focus on his work at Goodyear," the letter said.
