Editor’s note: All statements of fact are attributable to probable cause statements obtained from the Maricopa Police Department.

Teen killed after shooting cop June 28 — Officer shot, suspect dead
The suspect killed in a June officer-involved shooting was a minor.

The shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. on a Wednesday night in June after officers responded to a call of three people breaking into vehicles in Tortosa.

One suspect shot an officer during a foot pursuit in the fields north of the neighborhood on the Gila River Indian Community. Another officer shot the same suspect, who died on the way to a hospital.

Police confirmed the deceased was a 17-year-old boy.

MPD arrested and jailed another 17-year-old boy. That teen faced three felony charges: armed robbery, burglary in the third degree, and criminal damage along with three misdemeanor charges of criminal trespassing, criminal nuisance and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The third suspect is 20-year-old Jose Martinez of Phoenix, who was taken into custody by Gila River Police Department.

He threatened to kill baby used as human shield Aug. 22 — Man threatened to kill baby

A man accused of brutally beating his girlfriend and roommate was arrested after barricading himself and using a baby as a shield.

MPD arrested 32-year-old Brennan D. Cheromiah after a standoff lasted more than an hour in Rancho El Dorado. His girlfriend said Cheromiah choked, kicked and bit her. Cops noted an injured eye and bite marks on her arms.

A roommate said Cheromiah dragged his girlfriend through the house and kicked her while she was curled up on the floor. Cheromiah allegedly punched his roommate in the throat and threatened to kill a child in the home.

Cheromiah barricaded himself in the home and used a baby as a human shield to evade arrest. After an hour-long standoff, officers tased him and took him into custody. Cheromiah’s girlfriend was hospitalized and treated for serious injuries.

His case is pending.

He secretly filmed his grandchildren nude Sept. 5 — Grandpa accused of using bathroom ‘spy camera’
A trip to grandpa’s house led to the disturbing discovery of a “spy camera” in the bathroom — loaded with nude videos of his family members.

Maricopa police arrested 71-year-old James H. Schmoker after two grandchildren stumbled across a hidden camera.

The grandchildren — police did not disclose their ages — told officers they were visiting from out of state when they found a USB wall charger with a small lens plugged into a bathroom outlet. They said they found a memory card in the device that contained a stockpile of videos of family members using the toilet and showering. Both victims said they saw videos of themselves on the memory card.

Schmoker admitted to buying the device and installing it in the bathroom.

A detective reviewed the memory card and saw several videos of nude people who did not know they were being recorded from two different bathrooms.

Schmoker was charged with one felony count of surreptitious recording, a charge that carries a presumptive sentence of 18 months in prison.

She burned the family dog alive Dec. 12 — Woman burned family dog alive

MPD arrested 39-year-old Ambria R. Garcia and accused her of burning the family dog alive in a firepit, killing her.

Garcia admitted to pouring gasoline on her dog and setting her on fire. She told police the five-year-old Shih Tzu named Missy was a “possessed rat.” She said she wanted to prevent Missy from hurting anyone and “needed to handle this problem as soon as possible.”

Garcia believed she released a demon from the dog while burning her. Garcia’s husband said he witnessed his wife light the live dog on fire, dance around and laugh, through a security camera.

Officers found a red gasoline container near the firepit and a “charred Shih Tzu” inside.
Garcia was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty.

Murdered woman found in landfill Dec. 12 —Maricopa woman murdered

Homestead resident Crystal Uptain, 38, was found murdered at a landfill in Mobile last month. She was reported missing to Maricopa police in November. As of publication time, no one has been arrested or named a suspect in her murder — the first and only in Maricopa in 2023.

 

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