Suspect arrested after car crashes into house in Glendale, killing homeowner, 3 months ago

PHOENIX — The Glendale Police Department on Tuesday arrested a woman suspected of drunkenly driving a vehicle into a home and killing the homeowner three months ago.

Celeste La Sean Downer, 22, allegedly drove a 2016 Dodge Dart through the front living room of an occupied residence near 67th Avenue and Beardsley Road on Nov. 10, 2024.

Police said Downer fatally struck 35-year-old Amanda Rogers.

The wife and mother of two had been decorating for Christmas at the time, according to a GoFundMe set up to support the family.

Details about fatal Glendale car crash that killed mother of 2

The crash pinned Rogers under the vehicle. She suffered severe internal injuries and died at a hospital eight days after the crash.

Downer, who was driving a car with two passengers, had a blood alcohol level of .124 during the crash, according to court documents.

One of the passengers found a small child under debris after the crash, according to court documents. The person handed the child to the father, who was inside the home.

What happened before car crashed into Glendale home?

A detective who analyzed the airbag control module found the vehicle was driving at 37 mph before the collision.

Although Downer was driving in a residential area, the analysis showed minimal steering input.

Downer later told police she had been hiding her alcohol consumption from at least one of her passengers prior to the crash, court documents said.

When asked to rate her level of impairment on a scale of 0-10, she rated herself a “6,” according to court documents.

She also allegedly told police she had been driving to a nearby park to smoke marijuana.

Downer also told investigators she was familiar with the area and lived a few houses south of her victim’s home, court documents said.

Charges for woman accused of killing mother in fatal Glendale car crash

Downer is facing one charge of second-degree murder, as well as two counts of endangerment, according to police.

She is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.

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