In the early morning hours of April 15, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona, a young woman's life was tragically cut short. Cierra Marie Celski, a 21-year-old female, was fatally shot in what began as a purported drug transaction. The events unfolded around 6 a.m. near Central Avenue and Baseline Road, culminating in a violent encounter that would leave one person dead and lead to a police investigation to bring the responsible parties to justice.
The incident began when the female driver of the
vehicle Cierra was a passenger in, arranged to meet with individuals at an apartment complex to purchase drugs. Cierra and another male passenger, who was asleep at the time, accompanied her. Upon their arrival, the two women exited the vehicle and were confronted by two males who then demanded their belongings at gunpoint. A struggle ensued, during which one of the suspects, later identified as Johnny Martinez, prevented Cierra from getting back into the car.
Although the women managed to break free and get back into their vehicle in an attempt to escape, the danger was not over. As they tried to drive away, one of the suspects opened fire on the car, a bullet striking Cierra in the back. The driver sped to a nearby Circle K convenience store at Central and Dobbins Road to seek help. Police responded to the scene to find Cierra with a gunshot wound. She was later pronounced dead.
The investigation into Cierra's murder led police to identify two suspects: Johnny Martinez and Xavier Gonzales. Martinez was apprehended within days of the shooting. Gonzales, identified as the alleged shooter, remained at large for a period of time. A Silent Witness flyer was released to the public on April 27, seeking information on his whereabouts. On Saturday, July 13, 2019, the second suspect, 21-year-old Xavier Gonzales, was arrested near 35th and Southern avenues. Court documents revealed that Martinez was a convicted felon, and records from the Arizona Department of Corrections indicated that Gonzales had previously served time in prison for a drive-by shooting in 2016 and had been released just a month prior to Cierra's death.
