Arizona teen girl killed after 25+ rounds fired at house, court docs say

By Peter Valencia

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    COOLIDGE, Arizona (KPHO, KTVK) — Newly obtained court documents point to a possible motive and details about what prompted a deadly drive-by shooting that killed a 14-year-old girl in Coolidge last week.

According to authorities, the shooting happened just after midnight at a home east of SR-287 and north of Coolidge Avenue. Court paperwork obtained early Tuesday revealed that officers and paramedics arrived in the living room to find Miyka Crawford shot in the head. She was rushed to Florence Anthem Hospital where she later died. At the scene, officers found 26 shell casings of 9mm and .40 caliber rounds. Several bullet holes were found scattered around an area outside the home, including some that punctured the brick wall.

Late Wednesday afternoon, authorities announced multiple arrests in the case. First, 19-year-old Derek Manuel and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on Tuesday at a Gilbert home. Additionally, A 14-year-old girl was taken into custody at a family member’s house in Casa Grande, while a 15-year-old boy from Laveen was arrested in Scottsdale.

Detectives gathered surveillance video from the area, which showed a dark blue Kia Optima that left the scene. While police initially said the vehicle that had been stolen in Eloy was found abandoned, court paperwork now reveals that officers had tried to pull the car over in Gilbert. The driver, one of the teens, turned into a nearby apartment complex and took off on foot. A few minutes later, that teen was detained and officers seized the vehicle. In addition, detectives discovered a hoodie with unspent 9mm rounds from the same brand as the casings found at the shooting scene.

Court documents state that one of the teens, who Arizona’s Family is not naming at this time, waived his Miranda Rights and spoke with detectives. The teen told investigators he had dropped a family member off in Eloy before driving straight to the house in Coolidge. Once they got there, he said that Manuel and another teen passenger began shooting at the home. However, the teen driver claimed they and the front passenger were not shooting. As for a possible motive behind the shooting, the teen driver reportedly told investigators that they had gone to the house because he was recently “jumped” by someone who lived there.

Arresting documents also say Manuel is reportedly linked to drive-by shootings in Eloy and a stolen weapons investigation in Mesa.

Both the teen and Manual now face charges including first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and a single count of a drive-by shooting. However, Coolidge police say similar charges are being sought for all four suspects.

How to help the victim’s family Loved ones say Crawford was a sweet, outgoing kid who loved TikTok, making videos and hanging out with her sister. The family started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. A celebration of life service for Miyka will be held at 330 E. Burke Ave, Coolidge, AZ, on Saturday at 2 p.m. Guests are asked to wear purple or blue if they plan to attend.

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