By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Weeks after a young man was gunned down in the Phoenix neighborhood of Maryvale, police said they’re one step closer to justice.
Read more How AI cameras help identify wildfires faster across southern Arizona
Officers said Thursday that Steven Garcia, 24, was arrested in connection with the April 10 murder of Titus Thomas Jr.
Police didn’t say where Garcia was taken into custody, but they reportedly found multiple guns with him.
He was booked into jail on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, two counts of kidnapping and more.
The shooting happened in the area of 83rd Avenue and Indian School Road around 3:30 p.m. April 10. Police said Thomas was shot at least once and died at the scene.
Investigators didn’t say what led them to Garcia.
“The success of this investigation is a result of the hard work and collaboration of the members of the Phoenix Police Homicide, Gangs, and Night Detectives, as well as the Street Crimes and Special Assignments Units, and Fugitive Apprehension & Investigation Detail,” Phoenix Police Lt. Vince Lewis said in an email.
His court paperwork is sealed at the request of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
During Garcia’s first court appearance, the prosecutor said the killing was especially horrific.
Read more Innocent woman killed at gas station after suspects fire up to 80 shots into car, police say
“It was very premeditated. It was brutal, heinous. It was clearly an intent to kill with the actions that were committed by the defendant,” the prosecutor said.
She also said Garcia’s gang ties could pose a serious threat beyond a jail cell.
“Him belonging to a gang, the state is concerned about intimidation and what fellow gang members may do that are still out in the community,” the prosecutor said.
Thomas’ mother also addressed the court, saying that her son was unarmed and describing the crime as heinous is an understatement.
“He is a very dangerous individual,” she said. “Him standing the way that he is, shaking his head, kind of rolling his head. And, um, when (the judge) said victim, he looks surprised because he killed my son. And so he didn’t think there was victims. And the regard of him thinking that it only affected one person, it shows who he is, that he has no character as far as what he’s done. And he doesn’t believe that it’s a big deal,” she said.
The judge said Garcia was currently on parole after serving 7 1/2 years for shooting someone in the stomach. Court records show that shooting happened in 2019.
The judge decided on a $1.5 million cash-only bond.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Paw-some rescue: Firefighters free puppy stuck in wheel rim in Surprise