A 37-year-old man, identified as Richard Rodriguez, has been arrested in connection with a spree of violent incidents in Phoenix that left two men dead and another injured over the course of a month, authorities said. Phoenix police allege Rodriguez's involvement in the murder of 55-year-old David Aguirre, who was fatally struck by a truck on January 11 near 43rd and Dunlap avenues, as reported by 12News.
A witness to the hit-and-run claimed they saw Aguirre arguing with someone before being run down, according to court documents, and approximately a week later, on January 23, a shooting occurred near 25th and Vista avenues, which resulted in a man being hospitalized, later pinpointing Rodriguez as his assailant; furthermore, Rodriguez has also been tied to an incident on February 2, where 62-year-old Thomas Ogden was found dead with apparent trauma inside his residence near 28th Street and Greenway Parkway, neighbors reportedly saw Rodriguez coming and going from Ogden's apartment in the preceding days, while investigators discovered a tie between the shell casings at the January 23 shooting and at Ogden's residence.
The connection between the various crime scenes and the allegations against Rodriguez has led to him being booked into jail, although the exact charges are currently undisclosed. Additional details on the case, provided by 12News, indicate that Ogden was found after a family member, not having heard from him, called the police; the discovery was made at his home near Piestewa Freeway and Greenway Road on Friday just after 1:40 p.m., with police confirming the man was pronounced dead at the scene with "obvious signs" of trauma.
In light of these events, anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Silent Witness, as a reward has been offered for tips leading to an arrest in Ogden's case. Meanwhile, Phoenix residents can keep up-to-date on this story and other local news by downloading the 12News app or streaming via the 12News+ app available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, which features live newscasts, on-demand videos of top stories, and other local content including weather updates and noteworthy scenes from across Arizona, ensuring viewers are informed as this somber narrative continues to unfold within their community.
