The Glendale Police Department has cracked a cold case dating back to 2016 with the arrest of a suspect in the fatal shooting of a local father, authorities said. Joseph Keller, who was previously incarcerated for unrelated charges, now faces charges for the death of Glendale man Jose Sanchez after being apprehended on Thursday, according to a report by ABC15.
On a seemingly quiet afternoon of April 22, 2016, a nightmare unfolded at the Sanchez family's apartment near 57th Avenue and Camelback Road when burglars invaded, leading to Sanchez being shot multiple times. Found dead at his kitchen, the apartment turned up ransacked, and the culprits were witnessed fleeing with electronic goods—taking refuge in an unusually painted Dodge Avenger. According to 12News, these men and the involved vehicle set the stage for the investigation that would span nearly a decade.
Keller's link to the vehicle—belonging to a then-girlfriend—provided a crucial tip that subsequently led to the discovery of his fingerprints at the crime scene. Keller, who was released from prison last April following convictions for fraud and organized retail theft, had no known connections to the Sanchez family, making his fingerprints at the scene a significant piece of evidence. "Jose was kind, and loving, and funny, hardworking, and he didn’t deserve this. We just want justice for him. Somebody knows something," a family member told ABC15 in an interview in 2017.
The arrest brings a measure of closure to Sanchez's family, who have repeatedly spoken out about the exceptional character of their loved one. "Jose was such a terrific man, and such a giving person," Jennie Perez, Sanchez’s sister-in-law, relayed to the media. Court records connected Keller to the case after police received a tip about the vehicle used in the crime; these records now form part of Keller's first-degree murder and armed robbery charges. With the arrest, Glendale police hope to untangle the remaining threads in an investigation that remained unsolved for eight long years, hinting at potential other suspects still at large.
