Domestic violence suspect arrested after crashing into Buckeye apartment at high speed

PHOENIX – A domestic violence suspect was arrested Monday after he crashed into a Buckeye apartment building at a high speed, authorities said.

Keith Auzenne Jr., 37, allegedly attacked his girlfriend and smoked methamphetamine before the Labor Day wreck near Miller and Baseline roads, according to the Buckeye Police Department.

He was captured after fleeing the scene and taken to a hospital for treatment before police booked him into jail on a slew of charges.

His girlfriend was hospitalized with a serious back injury, according to court documents.

Six people, including four children, were inside the apartment when the vehicle driven by Auzenne crashed into it, according to the arrest report. One of the children suffered foot cuts from shards of glass on the ground.

What was suspect doing when he crashed into a Buckeye apartment?

Auzenne’s girlfriend was driving him in a Hyundai Kona around noon when they got into an argument, according to the arrest report. When she pulled over, the suspect got behind and wheel and she got into the back seat.

The arrest report says Auzenne reached back to hold his girlfriend down while speeding south on Miller Road at around 100 mph. He allegedly told her he was going to kill her by ramming into a pickup truck, “but at the last moment swerved” off the roadway.

“As the vehicle drove south through the landscape, the vehicle launched into the air after hitting a raised area, through a block wall. The vehicle traveled through the air until it struck the outdoor seating area,” the arrest report says.

The impact reportedly caused $100,000 in damage to the apartment building.

What did suspect do after the high-speed wreck?

Auzenne ran off after he crashed into the apartment building, leaving his injured girlfriend in the SUV. He was taken into custody a short time later at his home a few blocks from the crash site.

While at the hospital, he allegedly said he smoked meth before driving. Investigators found a glass pipe with burnt residue on the floor of the wrecked vehicle, according to the arrest report.

On top of that, he doesn’t have a valid license to drive because it was suspended for previous DUIs.

After Auzenne was released from the hospital, he was booked into jail on six counts of endangerment and one count each of the following offenses:

• Aggravated assault
• Kidnapping
• Leaving the scene of an injury accident
• Criminal damage
• DUI
• Exceeding the speed limit by over 20 mph
• Driving on a suspended/revoked license

His bond was set at $100,000.

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