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Suspect in deadly 2016 shooting is arrested days after release from prison

Posted 6/19/19

A man who was released from prison this week is back behind bars after Phoenix police arrested him in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in 2016.

Phoenix police report Steven Rivera, …

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Suspect in deadly 2016 shooting is arrested days after release from prison

Posted

A man who was released from prison this week is back behind bars after Phoenix police arrested him in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in 2016.

Phoenix police report Steven Rivera, 30, was jailed Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and discharging a weapon in an occupied structure.

The incident happened the night of July 15, 2016. Police said a suspect identifying himself as "Steven" knocked on the door of an apartment and asked for the victim by name. When the male victim opened the door, the suspect immediately shot at him.

The suspect slammed the door shut, but the suspect continued firing. A female occupant was struck in the head and died from her injuries.

The male victim sustained shoulder and stomach wounds, and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. A third occupant was uninjured and provided details to police.

A month after the shooting, the surviving victim identified Mr. Rivera as the shooter in a photo lineup.

Phoenix police later learned of Mr. Rivera's possible connection when Glendale police learned someone had been assaulted by Mr. Rivera for talking about the shooting.

A witness told police she picked Mr. Rivera up the night of the shooting and saw a firearm in his waistband. A month after the shooting, Mr. Rivera reportedly told the witness about the incident, and said he hid the firearm in a shoe box and dumped it somewhere.

Nearly three years later, Phoenix police arrested Mr. Rivera Tuesday morning near 67th and Glendale avenues. However, it appears the arrest came two days after his release from prison. Arizona Department of Corrections records state Mr. Rivera had served two years on charges of arson, burglary, theft and resisting arrest. That last charge was part of an incident that occurred months after the fatal shooting.

Mr. Rivera was jailed on the new charges in lieu of a $1 million cash-only bond.