Significant Sentences - Pinal County Attorney's Office

San Tan Valley woman sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for 2x fatal crash

August 14, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ, August 14, 2023) - A San Tan Valley woman has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for killing two people in another vehicle when she crashed into it while driving under the influence.

On August 11, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Danielle Harris sentenced Janelle Littlebear, 39, to 21 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Littlebear pled guilty to two counts of Manslaughter, both Class Two Felonies.

On August 13^th, 2022, Littlebear was driving her Toyota Camry northbound on Gantzel Road in San Tan Valley when she veered off the roadway onto the dirt shoulder before the vehicle traveled back sideways across the northbound lanes, onto the dirt median and collided with a southbound vehicle. The driver and passenger in the southbound vehicle were pronounced deceased and identified as Richard Hanson, 78, and Kathleen Franta, 78.

During the course of the investigation, witnesses indicated Littlebear was speeding prior to the vehicle veering off the roadway. A blood draw conducted on Littlebear at the hospital showed her BAC to be .271, or more than three times the legal limit.

This case was investigated by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

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Arizona inmate sentenced to death for 2014 prison murder

August 7, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A jury has sentenced an inmate within the Arizona Department of Corrections to death for the murder of another inmate nearly a decade ago.

On August 1^st, 2023, a Pinal County Superior Court jury sentenced Julio Salazar, 41, to death.

A jury previously found Salazar guilty of Premeditated First Degree Murder, a Class One Felony.

On August 16th, 2014, staff at the ASPC-Eyman complex in Florence responded to an incident in the basketball enclosure, and found inmate Lino Flores, 53, lying face up in a pool of blood. The suspect, who was also inside the basketball enclosure, was identified as inmate Julio Salazar, who had blood covering his shoes and socks.

One of the security cameras captured the incident on video. The video shows another inmate placing a ‘shank’ inside a water cooler within the basketball area prior to Salazar’s arrival. Salazar is shown on video removing the item from the cooler and attacking Flores, stabbing him in the head and body while playing basketball. Salazar also punched Flores multiple times in the head, kicked him, stomped and punched his head several times while on the ground, put him in a choke hold and took the prison made weapon and stabbed the victim in the forehead. The assault continued and ended with Salazar stepping on Flores’ face with his entire body weight. Video shows Salazar then dancing around the enclosure. In all, investigators determined Flores was stabbed and stomped hundreds of times over the span of 47 minutes.

An autopsy showed the victim suffered a crushed skull, broken ribs and a fractured larynx, among other injuries. The doctor who performed the autopsy noted the victim’s body was in a condition “similar to a person in a motor vehicle accident.”

The aggravating factors in this case included that the murder was especially heinous or especially depraved, a serious prior felony conviction by the defendant, and that the offense occurred in the State Department of Corrections.

Salazar’s serious prior offenses included a Manslaughter from 2000 and a 2007 Attempted Murder of an Arizona Correctional Officer.

This case is the first time a Pinal County jury has imposed the death penalty in more than 20 years.

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Surprise man sentenced to 25 years for luring a minor, child sex trafficking

August 1, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ August 1st, 2023) - A Surprise man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for child sex trafficking and luring an underage girl via a social media app to engage in sexual activity as the victim “needed the money to help her mom pay their rent.”

On July 31, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Daniel Washburn sentenced Joel Disanto, 47, to 25 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime probation.

DiSanto pled guilty to Aggravated Luring of a Minor, a Class Two Felony; and Child Sex Trafficking, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children.

In October, 2022, the mother of a 15-year-old went through her phone and discovered sexually explicit images of her daughter that were being sent through Snap Chat. The victim’s older sister also searched the victim’s cell phone and found a text message indicating the victim had sex with a male in his 40s. During a forensic interview with the victim, she disclosed that she had met a number of men on Snap Chat who sent her sexually explicit material, and that she had been communicating with a subject by the username ‘Daniel Donkey.’ The victim indicated the person behind the username wanted to meet with her in order to engage in sexual activity, and offered to pay her. According to law enforcement, the victim noted that “she needed the money to help her mom pay their rent.”

The victim disclosed that in September 2022 she met with “Daniel Donkey” in Casa Grande and engaged in a sex act with him after making it clear she was 15 years old.

During the investigation, the Casa Grande Police Department obtained a search warrant for the Snapchat account, which helped to identify the account’s creator as DiSanto. DiSanto’s physical characteristics also matched the description provided by the victim. DiSanto was already listed as a sex offender and a sexually violent predator.

Investigators located sexually explicit material on DiSanto’s Snapchat account. The geolocation of his phone also provided details helping to corroborate the victim’s account.

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Eloy man sentenced to seven years for two incidents involving a firearm

July 24, 2023/in Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - An Eloy man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for pointing a gun toward several juveniles and for his involvement in a shooting that same day.

On June 26th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson sentenced Chico Garcia, 19, to seven years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Garcia pled guilty to two (2) counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, both Class 3 Felonies.

In February 2022, the Eloy Police Department investigated the incident which occurred at a local gas station. Garcia pulled out a handgun while at the business and pointed it at three juveniles who were in a vehicle and threatened them. That same day, Garcia was involved in a car chase and fired three shots from his vehicle. Five people witnessed this incident.

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San Tan Valley man sentenced to more than decade in prison for death of three passengers in vehicle

July 21, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A San Tan Valley man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for the death of three passengers of a vehicle he was driving that crashed while fleeing law enforcement.

On June 19th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson sentenced Juan Sanchez, 21, to 14 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Sanchez pled guilty to three (3) counts of Manslaughter, all Class 2 Felonies.

In February 2019, deputies with the PInal County Sheriff's Office attempted to pull over Sanchez, when he accelerated to speeds in excess of 70mph. Deputies noted Sanchez was driving in a manner to overtly flee law enforcement, and at one point conducted an improper U-turn that entered a residential yard. Sanchez again accelerated to a high rate of speed onto Schnepf Road, failing to stop at the posted stop sign and failing to yield to opposing traffic. At one point the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100mph and ultimately the driver lost control of the vehicle while driving along the dirt shoulder.The vehicle veered across the road and collided with a fixed concrete structure. Three of the occupants of the vehicle died as a result of the collision.

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Eloy man sentenced to more than decade in prison in case involving armed home invasion

July 18, 2023/in Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - An Eloy man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison relating to an armed home invasion in the City of Maricopa.

On June 5th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Jason Holmberg sentenced Kristofer Thornhill, 27, to 10.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Thornhill pled guilty to Burglary in the First Degree, a Class 2 Dangerous Felony.

In December 2022, the Maricopa Police Department responded to a home for a call of a home invasion robbery. The victim was inside the home when he noticed someone trying to open the doorknob. When the victim opened the door, two men with guns entered the home and told the victims they would not harm them but wanted to know where the 'stuff' was. Later, the victims were able to identify Thornhill as one of the men, and who they reported entered the home with a duffle bag. The second suspect, later identified by the victims as Freddie Madrid, pointed a rifle-type firearm at one of the victims and ordered him to lay on the ground. During this encounter, one of the victims was able to leave the home and seek help at a neighbor's house.

At this point, Thornhill and Madrid left the home and hopped into a waiting vehicle. Responding officers were able to locate Madrid and Thornhill in a Ford Excursion after it left the scene.

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Casa Grande man sentenced to seven years in case involving armed home invasion

July 18, 2023/in Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A Casa Grande man has been sentenced to seven years in prison relating to an armed home invasion in the City of Maricopa.

On June 5th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Jason Holmberg sentenced Freddie Madrid, 43, to seven years in the Arizona Department of Corrections to be followed by a term of probation.

Madrid pled guilty to Burglary in the First Degree, a Class 2 non-dangerous Felony, and Aggravated Assault, a Class 3 non-dangerous Felony.

In December 2022, the Maricopa Police Department responded to a home for a call of a home invasion robbery. The victim was inside the home when he noticed someone trying to open the doorknob. When the victim opened the door, two men with guns entered the home. Later, the victims were able to identify one of the men as Madrid, who they reported pointed a rifle-type firearm at one of the victims and ordered him to lie on the ground.

One of the victims was able to leave the home and ran to a neighbor's house to seek help. At this point, Madrid and the second suspect, identified as Kristofer Thornhill, left the home and hopped into a waiting vehicle. Responding officers were able to locate Madrid and Thornhill in a Ford Excursion after it left the scene.

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San Tan Valley teen sentenced to life in prison for murder of another teen

June 29, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A San Tan Valley teen has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of another teen connected to the sale of a vape cartridge.

On June 22^nd, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Daniel Washburn sentenced Joshua Franklin, 16, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, plus an additional 10.5 years.

In May, a jury found Franklin guilty of First Degree Murder, a Class One Felony and Burglary in the First Degree, a Class Two Felony. Franklin was tried as an adult.

In September 2021, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fatal shooting at a home in San Tan Valley. The victim was identified as a 15-year-old boy who had been shot multiple times at close range and was found deceased in the front entrance of the home. Investigators learned the shooter left the scene wearing all black clothing and was also in possession of a motorized scooter with a seat. Investigators learned the victim was involved in selling vape cartridges, and they discovered Franklin was upset with what he thought was a defective cartridge purchased from the victim a few days prior. According to a witness, the victim and Franklin were set to meet on the day of the homicide to exchange the cartridge. Social media records revealed the victim had sent Franklin his home address shortly before the murder. Geo location data from Franklin’s cell phone and from social media both showed travel from Franklin's home to the victim’s home, remaining at the victim's home for 2-3 minutes, and then traveling back to Franklin's home on the day of the murder. The timing from the location data matched the timing of eye-witness accounts, the 911 call, the social media chats, and surveillance video obtained from a neighbor's home. Franklin matched the physical characteristics of the person dressed in all black with a black backpack who witnesses saw leaving the scene and was captured on the surveillance video. A scooter and backpack matching those seen in the video and described by witnesses was located in Franklin's bedroom closet.

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Florence man sentenced to decade in prison in shooting case

June 15, 2023/in Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - A Florence man has been sentenced to a decade in prison in a case where he shot another man following a verbal argument.

On June 5th, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Steven Fuller sentenced Donald Block, 43, to 10 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by five years supervised probation.

Block pled guilty to Aggravated Assault, a Class Three Felony and Kidnapping, a Class Two Felony.

In March, 2023, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office responded to a call of shots fired in Florence. Initial reports indicated a man was shot during an altercation, and responding deputies found a man laying in the driveway of the home. Deputies were able to locate and stop a black Mercedes Benz that matched the description of a vehicle that fled the scene, and they found Block inside the vehicle. Witness and victim accounts indicated Block and the victim, a 43-year-old man, got into a verbal argument at the home, prior to Block firing a single gunshot. The victim was found with a gunshot wound to the torso. During the incident, Block prevented aid to the victim by dragging him to a rear room of the house after he had been shot and interfered with the roommates' attempts to get the victim out of the house and to call 911.

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Eloy woman sentenced to 24 years in child abuse case

May 31, 2023/in News, Significant Sentences

(FLORENCE, AZ) - An Eloy woman has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison in a child abuse case involving a boy who suffered severe injuries across his entire body.

On May 22nd, 2023, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Steven Fuller sentenced Claudia Genis, 32, to 24 years of flat time in the Arizona Department of Corrections, followed by two consecutive terms of lifetime probation.

Genis pled guilty to Child Abuse, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children; and two counts of Child Abuse, both Class Four Felonies.

In September 2020, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office responded to Banner Ironwood Hospital reference an eight-year-old boy who had been air-lifted to them in critical condition and showed signs of significant abuse. The boy suffered from multiple injuries including liver and spleen lacerations, scars and abrasions all over his body, multiple rib fractures, internal bleeding, injuries to his chest cavity, fractured sternum, and both old and new injuries to his genitals. Deputies were told by a relative that he fell off his skateboard, however doctors did not believe that to be the case. Genis initially reported she noticed the victim had a puffy eye after playing in the backyard. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Genis' phone and located a search history that included home remedies for injuries to the chest, trouble breathing, and when CPS gets involved. Investigators also discovered a text message that appeared to show an attempt to fabricate a story for law enforcement.

As part of the investigation, the victim eventually disclosed Genis, who was his mom's live-in girlfriend, started hurting him when COVID began and he had to stay home from school. He indicated Genis was the only one who hurt him and that she did things including smash his head against a car window and strangle him. He has now recovered from his physical injuries.

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