Phoenix police arrest man allegedly connected to 11 drive-by shootings

PHOENIX — Phoenix police announced Thursday the arrest of a 24-year-old man suspected of being connected to 11 drive-by shootings in south and west Phoenix.

Manuel Sierra was booked on 18 felony charges for his suspected role in the shootings that began on Dec. 31 and ended on Wednesday, the day he was arrested in Buckeye, the Phoenix Police Department said in a press release.

Multiple homes and vehicles were struck by gunfire during the string of shootings, authorities said, which targeted members of one extended family.

The investigation allegedly determined Sierra was a past romantic partner to someone related to the victims, authorities said.

The homes were occupied during at least half the shootings, authorities said, but nobody was injured.

The families during the six months also received threatening text messages tied to the shootings, authorities said.

Advanced ballistic evidence techniques were used and hours of digital evidence was analyzed during the investigation, which authorities said were crucial to linking the various shootings.

“This investigation was the result of the tenacity and professionalism of the Phoenix Police Department,” the department said in the release.

“Each and every employee who took part in this case worked tirelessly to bring justice to these victims and take a violent offender off the street.”

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