4 teenagers arrested in connection with West Valley homicide case

PHOENIX — Four teenagers from El Mirage were arrested in late June after a two-month homicide investigation, authorities said.

The El Mirage Police Department arrested the four suspects last Wednesday. They allegedly orchestrated a plan to rob a handgun from a 15-year-old boy on April 29.

“During the robbery, the 15-year-old victim turned to run and was shot,” the El Mirage Police Department said in a Monday news release.

Police said the shooter was a 16-year-old boy. Another 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old and 18-year-old Joey Hernandez-Silvas were also involved in the fatal attempted robbery, police said.

What led up to the homicide involving four teenagers from El Mirage?

The shooting took place near Thunderbird and El Mirage roads, police said.

Officers who responded to a report of shots fired found the victim face down in the front yard of a residence, unresponsive and with gunshot wounds to his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police said the four suspects planned to rob a Surprise home prior to the shooting. They allegedly wanted to rob a Surprise resident who planned to trade handguns.

However, when the resident didn’t show up to the trade, the four teens found the 15-year-old boy, who had already traded handguns with the Surprise resident, police said.

The suspects then lured the victim to the site of the shooting, where he was fatally shot while running away, police said.

Each of the suspects was booked for first-degree murder, robbery, aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, police said.

“This is a tragedy that resulted in the loss of a young community member’s life,” El Mirage Police Chief Paul Marzocca said in the news release. “The family affected by this willful act of violence is in our thoughts and prayers and will not soon be forgotten.”

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