Category: battery

Child Abuse in Phoenix

Post author By Scott
Post date October 14, 2016

Child Abuse at Home

Child abuse, to me is one of the saddest form of abuse. A child did not ask to be born into an unfit atmosphere. There’s always adoption if you didn’t want or care for a child. Why on earth would you want to harm him or her?

An injury to a child at their home is being investigated by the Phoenix Police Department. The police say that a young child was injured at an apartment complex. The complex was near 44th Street and Baseline Road. The child was hurt around 5:45 in the evening.

The police describe the injured child as a “small child”. The child had to be taken to the local hospital due to the injury. The following day, the child was still in critical condition.

Some detectives from the “Phoenix Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit” is going to be investigating the case.

Police say that the father told the officers that he (the father) had a medical episode. During his episode he ended up taking the baby down with him.

Police Wait to Hear About Child’s Medical Analyst

Phoenix Police Sergeant, Vince Lewis, said that a doctor will be able to determine whether the injury is plausible or if it truly was a freak accident and the child ended up getting the “worse end of the deal”.

Sergeant Lewis says that if the child’s condition changes then the nature of the investigation will also change. However, for the time being, the investigation is staying as an injured person case.

Poor baby, we hope he or she makes a full recovery soon.

Horrible Case of Child Abuse

Police sadly see abuse cases almost daily, so when they say it’s one of the worst one’s they’ve seen you know it’s bad. Prepare yourself for a sad investigation ahead.

According to reports the mother of a three year old little girl had entrusted her friend with the care of her little girl are now behind bars. They are accused of committing “egregious acts of child abuse”. According to the Mesa’s police chief it’s one of the worst one’s the Mesa department has ever had to investigate.

Police say that the child was found on a Monday in a Mesa area home. She was hidden away in a trash bag, her little hands and feet was bound with duct tape. Her mouth was also covered. The poor little girl was covered in feces, bruises, she was blistered and suffered from a rash. The little girl was nearly naked, wearing only a diaper and a shirt. The little girl could barley stand when the investigators found her.

The child’s mother, Mayra Solis and her friend, Francisco Javier Rios-Covarrubias were booked into jail on several charges. Seems like they should have harsher punishment for that horrible crime that they did. That poor defenseless baby did not deserve the torture they did to her.

Police Find Child in The WORST Conditions

The police said that the child was at the friends home. The child would actually stay there for days while Solis worked. The mother apparently works a lot, she told the police that she sometimes only saw her daughter one day out of the week.

Police found out that while the little girl was at the friend’s house, she would be there by herself for hours while Rios-Covvarrubias also worked.

Mesa Police Chief, John Meza says that the little girl is in the hospital at this time, she’s working on recovering. The last update he got was that she was in fair condition. The little girl couldn’t even stand as she was trying to talk to the investigators. Since she’s so young and her home life was so rough, the police do not know if the little girl couldn’t or wouldn’t talk to them during their investigation.

The police started their investigation when they recieved a phone call from a man saying that he saw a child bound and gagged with duct tape in a closet.

The man also told the police that he had met Rios-Coverrbias online and that the two had agreed to meet for sex. Apparently they were going to do the deed at her house. While he was there he noticed a bad odor in the house. He went to investigate and found the girl in the closet.

When he found the girl, Rios-Coverrubias allegedly asked him if he wanted to have sex with the child. The man got upset and left, however it must have not grossed him out too bad since he later came back and had consensual sex with Rios-Coverrubias. He thought the child had left though.

Luckily, he got a little smarter and called the police after his second time at the house. That is when the police arrived to the Rios-Coverrubias house.

Rios-Coverrubias apparently has no shame, he admitted to the police that he would bind the little girl with duct tape. He wanted to keep the poor child quiet just so he could have sex with other people.

He didn’t admit to sexually abusing the girl, however police say that during the medical exam they did find evidence of her being sexually assaulted.

Rios-Coverrubias was booked into jail on the charges of “sex trafficking, kidnapping, sexual conduct with a minor and child abuse”.

The mother was quite young at twenty-one years old. However she should know what going on. Solis would leave her child with that man for DAYS at a time. She knew he would leave her child alone for hours, apparently she didn’t care.

Solis is quite the example of what not to be as a mother. She would shave her daughter’s head to claim that she had cancer so that people would give her money. How sick is that?!

She was also booked into jail for child abuse charges.

The police say that neither adult in this situation had a previous record of child abuse.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445

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Tags child abuse, child assault, Child Neglect, domestic abuse

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Phoenix Police Investigate Multiple Robbery Claims

Post author By Scott
Post date September 28, 2016

Phoenix Police Search for Robbery Suspect

Police have one of the hardest jobs in America. They work countless hours to try to keep us safe, and have one of the lowest pays in the country. They get beaten down by the media but they always stay resiliant.

Police are now looking for a man and woman who the believe are a “persons of interest” in an armed robbery case that happened in downtown Phoenix.

A suspect reportedly robbed two women at gunpoint. The suspect took both of their purses. This happened in the area of Ninth Street and Garfield Street back on May 6th.

According to the reports, the next day the victim’s bank card had been used at several different locations by the two suspects.

Suspects Descriptions

One of the suspects was described as a Hispanic man. The man was 18-22 years old and around 5’6” tall. They say he probably weighed aroudn 190 pounds and has black hair, brown eyes and a mustache.

The woman is described as having long brown hair and is pregnant.

If you have any information about the case, you’re asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

Phoenix Police Need Help with Robbery Suspect

While the police are awsome at doing a lot of things, they still sometimes need a little help. Silent Witness is asking for help in a recent armed robbery case that happened just last month.

According to the reports, a man stole the keys to Fry’s gas station kiosk at gunpoint. The suspect stole cash from the register. The station is located near 51st Avenue and Baseline Road.

The suspect went to talk to an employee just outside of the station. The suspect then demanded the employee’s keys. I’m guessing the male suspect entered the kiosk and demanded money from the reigster, all of this from behind a pointed gun.

Police say that the clerk then put the money into the garbage can and then the suspect left on foot.

Robbery Suspect’s Description

The suspect is described as a black man. Police think he is somewhere in his early twenties. Police believe he is around six foot tall and weighs around one-hundred and sixty pounds. They say he has black hair and brown eyes.

Silent Witness is offering up a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest of the suspect.

If you have any information about this robbery, then please contact Silent Witness at 480-948-6377.

Bank Robbery

Bank robberies rarely end well, since ya know they don’t have good intentions to begin with. Sometimes people do end up getting killed or sometimes they end with people walking away unscared.

A recent robbery ended with the suspected bank robber dead. This was after a 45 minuted chase. The police was able to end the chase when they pinned his fleeing SUV against a barrier in Tempe, Arizona. They then opened fire on the driver.

The police told NBC News that the driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident.

Robbery Chase

The chase started after a bank was robbed in a Phoenix suburb. The suspect shot at the police during the incident. There were two other “people of interest” in the bank robbery and they’re now in custody.

There’s a video that shows footage of the chase. It showed two unmakred vehicles and they forced an SUV to spin to the right as it made a right turn. There’s a third vehicle and then they pinned the SUV against the fence. This is a tactic known as “PIT” aka “Precision Immobilzation Technique”.

One of the officers from the first vehicle came onto the scene and opened fire into the front seat of the SUV as the local television stations were broadcasting the encounter live.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Jonathan Howard’s Statement:

We know that he intended to escape at all costs and put anybody in danger. He already shot at police officers. He’s endangered the public for half an hour now as he’s driven throughout the city recklessly. It’s important to stop him before someone else gets hurt.

The Avondale police told the local news that the chase started around 11:49 in the morning. The robbery was at the Credit Union West in the Phoenix suburb of Avondale. The suspects fled in a black SUV and opened fire when the police tried to pull them over. Talk about a scary situation.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me

Tags missing suspect, Phoenix Robbery, robbery

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Phoenix Police Officers Struggle with Brutality

Post author By Scott
Post date September 16, 2016

Phoenix Police Facing Backlash Over Brutality

A 17-year-veteran of the Phoenix Police Department who was fired earlier this year after an incident of police brutality is back on the job, assigned to the Maryvale-Estrella Precinct.

Officer Kevin McGowan was involved in an incident on Dec. 23, 2014 at a smoke shop near 40th Street and McDowell Road. He was found to have used excessive force resulting in an injury to an 18-year-old named Patrick D’Labik.

The entire incident was caught on video tape. The Phoenix Police Department released that footage in April, shortly after McGowan’s termination.

The video shows McGowan walking into the store and pulling his weapon.

At the same time you see D’Labik put something down on the store counter and raise both his hands in the air.

D’Labik then starts to get down on the ground in a push-up-type position and was almost on the ground when McGowan stomps on D’Labik’s upper back, forcing his arms to buckle and his face to smash against the ground.

“I tasted blood, and that’s when I had spit and I looked on the ground and my teeth was already there,” D’Labik in an interview after the incident.

The strike knocked out three of D’Labik’s teeth and broke two others. D’Labik said that at the time, he didn’t know what the officer used to push him to the ground.

“I just know that he pushed me down more than he should have – way more than he should have,” D’Labik said.

Although the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute McGowan for aggravated assault, citing “no crime committed,” Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner said McGowan’s violation of policy warranted his firing.

McGowan appealed.

Phoenix Police Struggle with Brutality

The Phoenix Civil Service Board last week agreed with the recommendation of the hearing officer who heard McGowan’s case, and reinstated him to his former position.

The hearing officer described McGowan’s behavior during the December 2014 incident as “unacceptable,” but determined that “dismissal is not reasonable or appropriate under the circumstances.”

“There is no evidence of a pattern of improper behavior,” the hearing officer wrote in her recommendation. That officer also pointed out that McGowan amassed an “extensive amount of commendations and awards” during his 17 years on the job. In addition, she said McGowan accepted responsibility for his actions and “has sought counseling and continues to do so to ensure he can better deal with stress so that this type of incident would not recur.”

Although McGowan has not commented on this turn of events, his attorney, Steven J. Serbalik, issued a statement.

“On April 7, 2015, Officer McGowan was terminated. On August 13, 2015 the Phoenix Civil Service Board voted to reinstate Officer Kevin McGowan to his former position as a Police Officer for the City of Phoenix. Officer McGowan is a decorated 17-year veteran of the Department. He earned dozens of commendations and had no significant prior discipline.

“As we stated before, the video obtained by the media does not show the complete series of events related to this detention/arrest.

“The entirety of this incident, including the video, was reviewed by an independent expert and by a panel of attorneys at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. These reviews resulted in a determination that no crime was committed by Officer McGowan. Officer McGowan filed an appeal of his termination. A hearing was held before a neutral hearing officer on June 22, 2015.

“Officer McGowan respects the Civil Service Process, and is thankful that he had the opportunity for a hearing officer and a panel of citizens to review all of the facts related to his employment, not just a video showing an excerpt of a single incident.

“The hearing officer, after reviewing not only the video, but also hundreds of pages of additional information and hours of witness and supervisory testimony, recommended that Officer McGowan be reinstated. The Phoenix Civil Service Board, consisting of appointed civilian members, adopted the report and recommendation, and ordered Officer McGowan’s reinstatement. Officer McGowan received a 240-hour unpaid suspension, and was not awarded back pay.

“Officer McGowan will not be giving any interviews related to this incident, and this will be the only statement he will give related to this matter.”

For its part, the Phoenix Police Department has not said anything about the board’s decision to reinstate McGowan other to confirm that he is back on the job and his assignment.

D’Labik, whose injuries still cause him pain, described McGowan’s reinstatement as “really aggravating.”

“I mean, I ain’t getting my teeth back. … Why should he get his job back?” he asked. “For what? Why should you be able to do something like that and get your job back?”

“I just don’t think the man deserves his job back,” D’Labik’s grandmother, LaVerne O’Hare, said. “I really don’t.”

While she’s not worried for herself or her grandson, the fact that McGowan is back on the job troubles O’Hare.

“I didn’t think it was right for the simple fact that I don’t know what the man could do on another time,” she explained. “I’m not concerned for any of us. I’m concerned for anybody else out in there in Phoenix that might come across him.”

Although she is still angry about what McGowan did to her grandson and wholeheartedly disagrees with the board’s decision to reinstate him, she concedes that time will tell if the board did the right thing.

“If he can keep himself controlled and do things the way he’s suppose to in the future then it’s OK, but I just personally myself, because of what happened to my grandson, I don’t think it’s right,” she said. “I understand he needs a job he needs to make money. He needs to support his family but what he did to my grandson was not right.”

D’Labik believes it is unfair that McGowan got his job back, but he is pragmatic about it.

“I mean it is what it is,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Comprised of five people appointed by the City Council, the Phoenix Civil Service Board “hears appeals of disciplinary demotions, discharges, and suspensions of [city] employees,” including police officers.

Current members include Robert Lord, Kurt Mangum, Bruce Meyerson, Craig Steblay and Adrienne Wilhoit.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me

Tags phoenix police, Police, Police Brutality

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Multiple Robberies in Phoenix

Post author By Scott
Post date July 29, 2016

Police Searching for Robberies Suspects

According to the Tempe police, there have been three people arrested and two other people are still at large after a string of robberies in Phoenix as well as Tempe.

Spokesman, Lt. Michael Pooley stated that in the early morning of 1:30 a.m. a Whataburger was robbed. It was located at 48th Street and Broadway Road in Phoenix. There was also a carjacking in Phoenix on 40th Street, south of Baseline Road. Tempe was also busy, with another robbery of a person at Priest and Elliot roads.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate and then tried to stop a suspect in a vehicle which was in the town of Guadalupe. However the vehicle ran from the police. According to Lt. Pooley, there was a police helicopter that had to be brought in to help with the search. The helicopter followed the suspects to the area of Ninth Street and Farmer Avenue which is in Tempe. Three people then jumped from the vehicle and started running away on foot.

Suspects of Robberies Flee Scene

The vehicle was still running at the time and then crashed into a moving train. Talk about a messy situation. There was luckily no injuries from the crash. Pooley said that there were three people found and then taken into custody.

The two people who stole the Nissan Altima are still at large at this time.

Police Arrest Robberies Suspects

Talk about a busy month or so in Phoenix. The Phoenix police say that five teenage boys are now in custody after they were arrested for multiple armed robberies.

Officer James Holmes say that the officers was able to arrest the five teenagers after they were found in a pickup truck that matched a description of a suspect vehicle from three robberies reported earlier in the week.

Of course the young men ran from the truck. Luckily the police were able to quickly apprehend the two males. The officers then found three more people hiding in the trash cans in the back yard of a home around an hour later.

Officer Holmes said that a police dog bit one of the teenagers due to the fact that the young man was refusing to comply with police commands.

Officer Holmes also said that the three teenagers were suspect of at least five armed robberies and that it’s possible that, that number could rise to a total of seven armed robberies.

Police Find Robberies Suspects

Police search long and hard for people who do crimes. You never know what kind of situation you’ll come across. Now the police have arrested five robbery suspects. They were arrested near 55th and Southern Avenues. They have been linked to at least five crimes at this time.

The suspects ages range from 14 to 16 years old. How crazy is it that these KIDS have already started a life of crime? The 14 and 16 year olds are linked to at least five robberies.

ABC15 NEWS Quote

ABC15 video showed one man, who was wearing dark shorts and no shirt, in a backyard of a Laveen home taken away by police. A second individual was also seen taken into custody; that individual was wearing a dark shirt and jeans. A third subject, wearing red shorts and no shirt, was also taken into custody but taken away in an ambulance after he was injured by a police canine. A white truck, with three doors open, was also spotted in the area surrounded by police.

According to the police, the weapons were tossed from the suspect vehicle. Police went door to door searching the neighborhood.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me

Tags burglary, Man Hunt, Robberies, robbery

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Heartbreaking Child Abuse Cases in Phoenix

Post author By Scott
Post date July 22, 2016

Phoenix Mother Arrested for Child Abuse

Child Abuse is sadly becoming more common in the United States. More and more people are getting their kids rightfully taken away for being malicious towards their kids.

A Phoenix mother has at least fifteen child welfare cases against her. Now the police have finally rescued her son from the very filthy home they lived in.

The most recent case against the mother, was opened in February 2016. However the DCS spokesman wouldn’t give any information about that case.

According to the court records, the interior of the home in Phoenix was so disgusting that the first responders could only stand to be in the home for ten minutes at a time.

Police Search Child Abuse Case Home

The police showed up to the home of a twenty-eight year old woman, Vernia Elizabeth Livingston an thirty-two year old, Gilbert Martinez. This happened on May 27th 2016. According to the reports, the landlord had gone inside of the home to spray for bugs. But when the landlord got inside he was quite surprised to find that the home was in “an overwhelming state of filth”. The home was completely infested with bed bugs, cockroaches as well as rats. That’s most adults worst nightmares, let alone innocent children.

The landlord then contacted the police since she knew that an eight year old child had to suffer through living there. The landlord had been close with the family for some years.

Landlord’s Statement:

I know there is a [DCS] case open right now, so I don’t know how it could get his bad and they not do something prior.

The police have found some dogs and cats chasing and eating the rats at the home. Talk about nasty. The home was reportedly located near 37th Avenue and Deer Valley Road.

Police Reported that:

The furniture, walls, ceilings and floors were so highly infested with bed bugs that in some places, the ceilings appeared to be black.

Police also found that there was disturbingly large amount of animals as well as bug feces throughout the home. Including where the boy would eat and sleep. During the investigation they also found prescription drugs and weapons near the child’s toys.

They police have said that the child was well spoken and was able to tell the police that he usually feeds himself however he didn’t have any lunch or dinner that day. The little boy didn’t want the DCS to be called because he understandably likes living with his mother. No matter the horrible conditions you always love your mother.

DCS had to be called and they eventually ended up taking custody of the child.

Landlord’s Statement:

I hope that he gets placed in a normal home that’s loving and obviously clean and not disgusting.

The little boy also told the police that he doesn’t get to shower that often since the shower is broken. He also lost his toothbrush. How sad!

Both of the adults were arrested and will face preliminary charges for child abuse. They have both been released from jail, pending trial. A friend of the couple told the police that the house was in such a mess because the family was getting ready to move. She also blamed the landlord for their pest issues.

Phoenix Couple Charged for Child Abuse

Another Phoenix couple is going to be facing charges of child abuse against a six year old boy. The boy sadly suffered from severe burns where the young child had to stand barefoot on the hot ground!

Police say Mark Simmons, 27, made the boy stand barefoot in the backyard for 10 minutes as punishment and hit him multiple times with a belt, leaving bruises.

Sarah Simmons, 30, is accused of cutting the blistered flaps from the bottom of the boy’s feet and threatening to make him stand outside again if he didn’t stop crying, according to court documents.

Phoenix police Child Crime Detectives began investigating the case after being called to the Maricopa County Burn Center on July 12, two days after the incident took place.

Sarah Simmons would later tell police that they didn’t seek immediate medical treatment for the child because she was “afraid the children in the house would be taken away,” police wrote in court record.

“It was only when the victim’s wounds became infected and the top of his feet became red that she and Mark decided to call the fire department for medical care,” police wrote.

Mark Simmons was arrested on suspicion of two counts of child abuse on July 13 but has since been indicted by a grand jury. His next court appearance is set for 8:15 a.m. Sept. 13.

Sarah Simmons was booked into jail Thursday on suspicion of child abuse. Police said in court records that, prior to the latest incident, she has been the subject of approximately 30 Arizona Department of Child Safety reports. Her next court appearance is set for 8:30 a.m. August 11 in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me

Tags child abuse, Child Neglect, Criminal, personal injury

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Phoenix Robberies

Post author By Scott
Post date June 10, 2016

Overnight Phoenix Robberies

Crime rates are going up and people are being shot over nothing even more. Robberies are a daily occurrence. Police brutality is at an all time high and crime against police officers is always rising. This country is divided and Phoenix seems to never catch a break from the crime.

There were three people shot in two separate armed robberies. The robberies happened withing just moments of each other. This happened overnight in Phoenix. The police are saying that there were at least five other robberies in Phoenix in June. They believe that the same three suspects are behind all of these robberies.

According to the reports , the first robbery happened on a Wednesday and was located near 24th Street and McDowell Road at the 7-Eleven. The first robbery happened just before 1 o’clock in the morning. The Phoenix police officers arrived to the the robbery call and saw that a clerk had been shot in the leg. The Phoenix Police also say that the suspects left the scene in a newer, red, four door sedan vehicle. The car had light colored trim on the edge of the driver’s side.

Robberies Happen in Phoenix

According to the reports, around 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday the officers were called to the Circle K near 23rd Avenue and Thomas Road. The officers have stated that there was an armed man who robbed the Circle K and then shot the clerk and a customer. The customer, reportedly “exchanged gunfire” with the suspect.

The on scene investigators say that the clerk and customer suffered from non-life threatening injuries. According to the responding officers, the suspect jumped into a car that was waiting on him or her and sped away from the scene.

Police say five other robberies are also tied to the same group of men:

The first suspect is described as an African American man of an unknown age.
The second suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his early 20s who has black hair and was wearing a red bandana over his face.
The third suspect is described as a Caucasian or Hispanic man of an unknown age.

Seven robberies are being tied to all three men:

June 1, 9:37 p.m.: Subway (32nd Street and Thomas Road) – First suspect was armed with a machete.
June 6, 8:16 p.m.: Exxon (32nd Street and Van Buren Street) – Second suspect was armed with a silver handgun and ziptied employees.
June 17, 3:05 a.m.: Mobil (Indian School Road and Maryvale Parkway) – A suspect fired shots at the store clerk.
June 20, 8:48 p.m.: Panda Express (16th Street and Glendale Avenue) – First suspect fires a shot, points the gun at an employee and then flees in a gray truck.
June 20, 9:50 p.m.: 7-Eleven (67th Avenue and Camelback Road) – First suspect shows a weapon and points it at a store clerk.
June 22, 12:41 a.m.: 7-Eleven (24th Street and McDowell Road) – Second suspect shoots a store clerk in the leg before fleeing in a red 4-door vehicle.
June 22, 1:19 a.m.: Circle K (23rd Avenue and Thomas Road) – Second suspect shoots a store clerk in the arm. An armed customer inside the store shoots back, but was also struck in the leg.

Police are asking that if anyone has any information about the robberies to please call Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS or (480) TESTIGO. There is a reward being offered, $1,000.

Phoenix Police Investigating Robberies

The Phoenix Police are now investigating an armed confrontation at an Ahwatukee grocery store.

Sgt. Jonathan Howard stated that the officers were looking around the neighborhood near Chandler Boulevard and 44th Street for two men. They had threatened a man with a gun after stealing from the store.

Police swarmed the Safeway at 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard. Sgt. Howard said that the investigators were still trying to get detailed descriptions of suspects.

The police decided to close the Chandler Boulevard for the investigation to take place, the road was later re-opened.

The Phoenix police hope to have the surveillance video from the store very soon. Luckily there were no injuries reported and the store is remaining open for business.

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me

Tags Armed Robbery, Phoenix Robbery, robbery