Man arrested in fatal shooting near 31st Avenue and Washington Street in Phoenix
A 46-year-old man was accused of shooting a man in the chest during a robbery attempt while the victim was sleeping in an apartment in west Phoenix, Phoenix police said.
Henry Celaya, Jr. of Tempe was booked into a Maricopa County jail after being arrested on Tuesday near 33rd Avenue and West Washington Street, police said in a news release.
The shooting occurred Tuesday morning. Police found the victim, David Cordova, 29, at the scene with a gunshot wound, police said. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead by medical staff, police said.
A witness told police Celaya came to an apartment on South 31st Avenue, banged on the door, and then forced his way into the living room, where Cordova was sleeping, according to court records.
The witness told police Celaya struck the victim in the face, yelled at him to "give me everything," grabbed the victim's necklace, and then pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and pointed the gun at the victim's head, according to reports.
The witness told police Celaya then pointed the gun at the victim's chest and shot him once, according to court records. The witness told police Celaya then fled, according to the police report. Police later found Celaya hiding in a black Toyota Camry parked in the 100 block of South 33rd Avenue, court records indicate.
A tactical unit detained Celaya without incident after he came out of the vehicle, according to court documents.
Before being taken into custody, Celaya placed a baggie on the trunk of the vehicle, the police report said. The bag contained a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, court records indicate.
Police located a semi-automatic gun under a trash can in the area, according to the police report.
Celaya was charged with first-degree murder, burglary in the first degree, attempted armed robbery, misconduct involving weapons/prohibited possessor, possession of dangerous drugs, discharging a firearm within city limits and two probation violation felony warrants, according to the police report and Maricopa County Superior Court records.
According to court records, Celaya was being held on a $1,500 bond. He was scheduled to appear in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Henry Celaya arrested after fatal shooting of David Cordova in Phoenix
