What started as a tense argument in a car has ended with a lifetime behind bars for a Tempe man convicted of killing his teenage girlfriend.
On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Adrian Aguilar was sentenced to natural life in prison plus an additional 26 years after a jury found him guilty in the 2023 killing of his 19-year-old girlfriend, Amria Crofton. The punishment, announced by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, caps a criminal case that began last summer and drew attention across Tempe. Jurors weighed evidence over several days before the sentence was handed down.
Prosecutors say the violence began in June 2023 when Aguilar saw a text message on Crofton’s phone, demanded she admit to an affair and opened fire after she denied it. Over roughly 45 minutes, he allegedly drove around Tempe repeatedly shooting Crofton before a witness called police after seeing him fire into the passenger seat near Broadway Road and 48th Street, according to ABC15.
Prosecutors Push Tough Sentences
In recent months, Maricopa County prosecutors have been seeking the maximum penalties in intimate-partner homicide cases, arguing that jealousy and rage call for the harshest punishment to protect the public. The county attorney’s newsroom has highlighted other convictions and life sentences in similar domestic violence killings, underscoring that this case fits a pattern prosecutors have emphasized across the Valley, per the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Police, Confession And Injuries
Tempe officers say they found Aguilar near the scene with a gunshot wound. He initially claimed his car had been shot up, but investigators uncovered inconsistencies in his story. According to courtroom evidence and police interviews, Aguilar later admitted he shot Crofton because he thought she had disrespected him and acknowledged shooting himself in the shoulder. Authorities say Crofton suffered 11 gunshot wounds to her head, neck and torso, along with additional injuries to her face and hands. A jury found Aguilar guilty in February on counts that included first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated assault, according to ABC15.
Aftermath
With the sentence now imposed, the criminal case against Aguilar is complete unless his defense files an appeal in the coming weeks. The punishment removes him from the community for the remainder of his life and may offer a measure of closure to Crofton’s friends and family, while renewing local attention on intimate-partner violence.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or call 911 in an emergency. Local victims' services and shelters can also be reached through the county's victim assistance resources.
