17-year-old suspect faces murder charge in adult court for San Tan Valley shooting

PHOENIX — A teenage boy has been formally charged with murder in adult court for the shooting death of 17-year-old Jamiere Jenkins in San Tan Valley last month, authorities said.

Anthony Jason Garcia, 17, was indicted on one count of second-degree murder by a grand jury, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Garcia was taken to the Pinal County Adult Detention Center after being arraigned Friday morning. His bond was set at $100,000. He previously was being held at the Pinal County Youth Justice Center.

When and where was Jamiere Jenkins killed?

Jenkins was fatally wounded in a shooting near Ocotillo and Gantzel roads the evening of Nov. 28.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office announced later that night that a teenage suspect was taken into custody.

County Attorney Kent Volkmer’s office convened a grand jury after reviewing the evidence.

“We have seen far too many young lives impacted and cut short due to youth violence,” Volkmer said in a press release Friday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted, and it is my sincere hope that our youth begin to appreciate and recognize the inherent value in every human life.”

What is known about the San Tan Valley murder investigation?

An investigation determined the suspect and Jenkins were in a verbal altercation when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the other in the neck, Sheriff Mark Lamb said in a video after the incident.

Jenkins died after being taken to a hospital.

Footage from an Amazon delivery truck helped detectives identify the suspect’s vehicle, and he was tracked to a nearby residence, Lamb said.

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