What started as gunfire along Interstate 10 and spilled into a Tempe resort has ended with a prison term. Jesus Enriquez Gonzalez, 35, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in state prison after admitting to charges tied to the March 18, 2025, incident in which he threatened drivers, hotel workers, guests and a family, according to the Tempe Police Department. The sentence was handed down on March 30 following his guilty plea to multiple counts.
From I-10 to The Buttes
As reported by FOX10 Phoenix, the chaos began just before 2 p.m. on March 18, 2025, when witnesses and investigators say Gonzalez stood on the shoulder of I-10 near the U.S. 60 interchange and opened fire on passing vehicles, hitting at least one windshield. He then ditched his car, climbed a fence into the parking lot of Tempe Diablo Stadium and ran toward the nearby Marriott Phoenix Resort Tempe at The Buttes, which sits next to the ballpark.
Violence Inside the Hotel
According to KOLD, court documents state that once inside the hotel atrium, Gonzalez was armed and ordered two contracted employees to the ground. He fired one shot into the air and two more into the floor near them, and both workers were hit by shrapnel and later treated at a hospital. Investigators say he then ran through the resort and allegedly tried to carjack a mother and her two young sons in an SUV, pointing the gun at the children. He could not get the vehicle started, and officers arrested him about 100 yards away.
Charges, Plea and Sentence
AZFamily reports that a Maricopa County grand jury initially brought a 20-count indictment against Gonzalez. As part of a plea agreement, he later admitted to nine counts of aggravated assault, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of criminal damage. The Tempe Police Department said the judge ultimately sentenced him to a seven-and-a-half-year term in state prison on March 30.
Aftermath
The resort was evacuated during the police response and reopened after officers secured the scene, according to local coverage. ABC15 noted that investigators are continuing to review surveillance footage and witness statements as the case transitions into the corrections system and victims consider their options.
