Mike Cruz

Phoenix

Senior Editor, Breaking News at The Arizona Republic

Senior Editor, Breaking News at The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com | 2022 Maynard 200 fellow | Former @sbsun, @ivdailybulletin | (she/her)

Featured in: Favicon

azcentral.com Favicon

usatoday.com Favicon

yahoo.com (+2) Favicon

boredpanda.com Favicon

mercurynews.com Favicon

jsonline.com Favicon

ocregister.com Favicon

dailynews.com Favicon

wusa9.com

tucson.com + 61 more

Articles

Police: Man found dead in Surprise church parking lot was stabbed during fight

1 week ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz

A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of stabbing a man to death during a fight in the parking lot of a Surprise church. Police responded to a call about a man down around 6 a.m. May 27 at a church parking lot near 113th Avenue and Bell Road, according to Surprise Police Department officials. The man was found dead, and police said he had multiple stab wounds. He was identified as 28-year-old Tyrone Lee Wetzler.
High school students in Buckeye report man masturbating in parking lot

2 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz

A Buckeye man is in police custody and facing charges after police say he was accused of masturbating in a high school parking lot and having sex with a minor. Officers arrested 26-year-old Michael Armijo on May 22 during a traffic stop near his home, according to Buckeye Police Department. Two female students at Canyon View High School reported to a school resource officer on May 16 that they saw a man masturbating in a car parked next to them in a campus parking lot after school May 15.
3 Phoenix-area bar shootings in May have left 4 dead and communities reeling

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Mike Cruz

A series of shootings at local bars in May have rattled people across metro Phoenix. The shootings have been in three different cities and different settings. One was at a longtime student haunt nestled in a Tempe neighborhood. Another was at a Glendale restaurant open for about a year near the historic downtown. The third was in a Peoria strip mall off a major roadway. They led to the deaths of four people and injured several more.
3 Phoenix-area bar shootings in May have left 4 dead and communities reeling

2 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz

Four people were killed and several others injured in three separate shootings at bars across metro Phoenix in May. The shootings took place in Tempe, Glendale and Peoria. Police made an arrest in connection with the Tempe shooting. A series of shootings at local bars in May have rattled people across metro Phoenix. The shootings have been in three different cities and different settings. One was at a longtime student haunt nestled in a Tempe neighborhood.
DOJ to end civil rights investigation of Phoenix and its police department

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Mike Cruz

The Justice Department under the Trump administration is closing its investigation of the city of Phoenix and its police department over alleged constitutional violations, it announced May 21. The agency's three-year civil rights investigation into policing in Phoenix concluded in June with the release of a 126-page report that said officers routinely engaged in unlawful brutality and discrimination and violated the rights of protesters and unhoused people.
Worker at Mesa business dies after falling into equipment

2 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz |Rey Covarrubias Jr.

A male employee at a Mesa business died early May 20 after falling into a piece of equipment. Emergency personnel responded to a rescue call near East Pecos and South Meridian roads, according to the Mesa Fire and Medical Department. The worker, who was not identified, became trapped in the equipment after falling. "Unfortunately the male did not survive and was pronounced dead. The incident appears to be an accident," according to an email from Mesa fire.
Red flag warning expected as fire weather conditions settle into metro Phoenix

3 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz

Meteorologists issued a red flag warning due to fire weather conditions on May 12 in central Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. The red flag warning will be in effect from noon to 7 p.m., the weather service reported in a daily forecast. Elevated fire danger will exist May 12-13 as warm temperatures, low humidity levels and gusty winds become mixed with dry, fine vegetation and grasses, according to the weather service.
High temperatures, low humidity elevate fire weather conditions in Phoenix area

4 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Mike Cruz

High temperatures, lower humidity and wind expected over the next few days across central Arizona could make conditions favorable for wildfires. "High pressure will build over the region over the next couple of days leading to a quick warm up and drier conditions," according to the National Weather Service fire weather forecast for Phoenix.
High temperatures, low humidity elevate fire weather conditions in Phoenix area

4 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Mike Cruz

Hot, dry, and windy weather is expected in central Arizona, increasing the risk of wildfires. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 105 degrees over the weekend, with humidity as low as 15%. Winds are expected to pick up over the weekend and into next week, further exacerbating fire conditions. High temperatures, lower humidity and wind expected over the next few days across central Arizona could make conditions favorable for wildfires.
Fake signatures on 2024 petition for abortion access leads to man's indictment

4 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Mike Cruz

A man accused of falsifying signatures on a petition for abortion access in the 2024 general election was indicted by a grand jury and faces multiple charges, Maricopa County prosecutors announced May 6. Anthony Harris, 53, registered as a petition circulator in April 2024 despite past convictions that made him ineligible, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.