On a summer evening in Phoenix, Arizona, 31-year-old Angela Linner was spending time with her partner, Stefanie Ellis, and Stefanie's 12-year-old daughter, Maleah. The three were sitting in a car parked in a driveway on June 12, 2016, simply talking and listening to music. Their peaceful moment was shattered when a gunman approached the passenger side of the vehicle and opened fire, firing as many as eight shots into the car before fleeing.
The attack was sudden and brutal, leaving a scene of devastation. Angela and young Maleah died at the scene, while Stefanie was critically injured and succumbed to her injuries in the hospital weeks later.
The seemingly random and senseless nature of the killings baffled investigators. There was no indication of a robbery, as purses and a significant amount of cash were left untouched inside the vehicle. This triple homicide was soon recognized as part of a larger, terrifying pattern of violence that had been plaguing the city. For months, a serial shooter had been carrying out random attacks, primarily in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, creating a climate of fear among residents. Angela and the Ellis family were among nine people killed in a dozen separate shootings that took place between August 2015 and July 2016. The victims were of various ages and genders, with no clear connection to one another, making the killer's motives difficult to discern.
For nearly a year, the community was on edge as police hunted for the person responsible for the string of murders. A break in the case finally came in May 2017 with the arrest of 23-year-old Aaron Juan Saucedo, a former city bus driver. Investigators connected him to the series of shootings, including the one that claimed the lives of Angela, Stefanie, and Maleah. Saucedo was subsequently charged with 26 felony counts, including homicide, aggravated assault, and drive-by shooting, bringing an end to the months-long reign of terror and offering a measure of justice for the families of the victims.
