A Glendale man who stalked a 25-year-old gas station clerk through surveillance video, cornered her in the back of the store, and shot her 10 times has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years. Mohammad Hussain Ataei pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder and first-degree burglary in the April 2023 killing of Irma Rivera-Martinez at a Chevron station near 51st Avenue and Glendale Avenue.
Court documents show Ataei entered the plea on August 31 as part of an agreement with prosecutors, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. He received credit for roughly three and a half years already spent in custody. Jose Santiago with Glendale Police told the court it was “a heinous, vicious murder,” the station reported, while Ataei offered an apology during sentencing, saying, “I ask for forgiveness and mercy from God every day.” His parent also asked the court for leniency, but a family member of Rivera-Martinez pushed back, saying “he stole her from me and took her life in a very gruesome manner” and that she would never see her loved one again.
A Calculated, Silent Attack
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Ataei circling the Chevron station in a Toyota Camry before parking in a nearby alleyway, then walking inside dressed in black clothing and a ski mask, according to the Daily Independent. He followed Rivera-Martinez to the back of the store and shot her 10 times with a 9mm handgun, all within roughly 50 seconds — then left without taking any cash or merchandise. Police said Ataei, who was 20 years old at the time of his arrest, appeared to have specifically tracked Rivera-Martinez once inside, yet detectives found no record of any prior relationship or interaction between them.
Glendale police officials have said they were never able to pin down why Ataei targeted her. The department did not elaborate on a motive after the arrest, and a motive had not been established. That absence of a clear motive has remained one of the most unsettling parts of the case.
Surveillance and a Search Warrant Led to an Arrest
Undercover Glendale detectives arrested Ataei on April 27, 2023, after matching vehicle license plates and distinctive footwear caught on camera, then executing a search warrant at his Avondale residence, per the same account from the Daily Independent. SWAT officers surrounded the home, and the search turned up a 9mm Glock handgun along with the clothing Ataei wore the night of the shooting.
Remembered for Feeding the Unhoused
Rivera-Martinez worked at the gas station and was remembered by friends and regular customers as someone who often paid out of her own pocket to give food and drinks to unhoused people near the store, according to 12News. Family members and frequent customers shared those memories of her charitable character during memorial services held after her death.
How the Felony Murder Charge Worked
The guilty plea to first-degree felony murder meant prosecutors did not need to prove Ataei premeditated the killing. Under Arizona's felony murder statute, a death that occurs during the commission of certain felonies — including first-degree burglary — can support a first-degree murder conviction without separately establishing intent to kill, according to The Hamp Law Offices. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1105 and § 13-751 set out three possible sentences for first-degree murder involving an adult victim: the death penalty, natural life without parole, or life with eligibility for release after 25 years — the outcome Ataei ultimately received, according to Matthew Lopez Law.
A Broader Pattern of Violence Against Retail Workers
The killing fits into a grim national pattern for workers like Rivera-Martinez. Convenience store clerks face a workplace homicide rate 14 times higher than the overall private-industry average, according to federal guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which recommends drop safes, physical cash barriers, and better surveillance coverage to reduce the risk.
Locally, Glendale has seen its violent crime numbers shift in the years since the shooting. The city recorded 20 homicides in 2024 and a violent crime rate of 488.4 per 100,000 residents — a 14.1% drop from the prior year, though still roughly 36% above the national average, per OpenCrime. Glendale Police Department records show total violent crimes, including murder, aggravated assault, robbery and sexual assault, fell another 9.75% in 2025 to 1,139 incidents, a decline city officials have credited to targeted enforcement efforts.
