Phoenix police have apprehended a man after the fatal shooting of his roommate on the final night of the year at an apartment complex near Greenway and Cave Creek roads. The decedent, identified as 32-year-old Edi Ruiz, was reportedly shot in the head; police were called to the scene around 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Upon arrival, they pronounced him dead at the scene, where a shell casing was found near his body, as per a report by AZ Family.
Jose Gonzales-Hernandez, a 22-year-old resident of the same apartment, was arrested on New Year's Day in connection to the murder. Authorities were able to track Gonzales-Hernandez's cell phone to a location approximately three and a half miles from the incident. Undercover officers located and detained him without incident, though upon his arrest the suspect chose not to speak to authorities, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. Gonzales-Hernandez was subsequently booked on charges of second-degree murder. According to the police, there were a total of seven people living in an apartment where the shooting occurred, a detail shared by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear, as authorities have not yet released a motive. One other roommate witnessed Gonzales-Hernandez enter Ruiz’s bedroom and heard the two men conversing before a single gunshot was heard. Following the discovery of Ruiz bleeding on the ground, Gonzales-Hernandez was purportedly seen departing the domicile with a black backpack and fleeing the area on a bicycle.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower conveyed the swiftness with which the investigation unfolded, stating, "Homicide detectives worked decisively throughout the first 24 hours to identify, locate, and arrest a man for the deadly shooting of 32-year-old Edi Ruiz." The investigation is ongoing as police continue to unravel the events that led to the tragic ending of New Year's Eve. All factual details of the case were verified utilizing information from FOX 10 Phoenix.
