A suspected home invasion in Laveen Village last month resulted in one man’s death and another being jailed on murder charges, while police continue to search for additional suspects.
Michael Valles, 19, was charged on a count of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 28-year-old Carlos Pardo Espericueta, Phoenix police announced Friday night.
According to police, at about 1:15 a.m. Dec. 16, officers responded to a shooting in the area of South 54th Lane near West Southern Avenue. Police said they learned multiple suspects broke into a home and exchanged gunfire with someone at the home.
Espericueta, a suspect in the home break-in, was found by officers on the ground outside the home with one gunshot wound, according to police. He was hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
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Detectives found that multiple suspects, several of them armed, forced entry into the home with multiple victims inside, police detailed. Pardo Espericuta was shot, while the other suspects fled on foot, according to police. None of the home occupants were seriously injured, police added.
Detectives used multiple pieces of evidence to identify Valles as a potential suspect, police said. Valles surrendered later that day and was booked on multiple charges, according to police. Jail records show that aside from the murder charges, Valles is facing multiple charges on suspicion of aggravated robbery, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree burglary and kidnapping.
Espericueta died Dec. 27 from his injuries while at a hospital, police said. Valles was booked Thursday on the murder charges, according to police. Valles was being held on a $1.25 million bond at a Maricopa County jail and his next court appearance is set for Feb. 11, according to jail records.
It is unclear whether police suspect Espericueta was shot by Valles. Under Arizona law, a suspect may be charged with murder if someone dies while a dangerous crime is committed, regardless of whether the accused intended to kill the deceased.
Detectives think there are multiple outstanding suspects in the incident, police mentioned, noting additional information is part of an ongoing investigation.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Laveen home invasion leads to shooting death, teen charged with murder