Latest news with #Suniga
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 Phoenix-area bar shootings in May have left 4 dead and communities reeling
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. Linda Hubbard, who lives in a house behind the Peoria strip mall where the latest shooting occurred, was surprised to hear of the incident, saying the bar was usually a quiet spot except for the occasional drunk, disorderly person or a loud car. "Every now and then, somebody will come around from the bar and walk down the street, and you can hear a ruckus on the corner over here," Hubbard said. "But as a rule, that bar is pretty quiet. People over there, they don't branch out into the neighborhood." A fight led to a shooting May 3 outside Casey Moore's Oyster House in Tempe, police said. Dakota Barnes, 30, was leaving the establishment when another man punched him in the head, according to court records. Barnes responded by shooting the man in the stomach, the records said. When a neighbor came outside with a cell phone, Barnes threatened the neighbor to put the phone away or he would "come back," according to court records. When Barnes tried to leave with his girlfriend, the man who was shot jumped on the hood of Barnes' car, but the car swerved, and the man fell off, the records said. Barnes was arrested and faced multiple felony charges. On May 4, a mariscos and steak restaurant on the edge of historic downtown Glendale, less than a block away from police headquarters, became the scene of a mass shooting that killed three people and injured several others. Police say a fight broke out at a dance party on the patio of El Camaron Gigante as it was winding down. The event was thrown by On A Sunday Afternoon, a lifestyle brand founded by Bobby Luera. Security removed the people involved in the fight. Soon after, gunfire erupted. Brothers Damien Anthony Sproule, 17, and Christopher Juaquin Sproule, 21, as well as Milo Christopher Suniga, 21, were killed, according to police. Family members said the brothers were at the event to make friends with fellow lowrider fans. Suniga's cousin, Veronica Tarango, told The Arizona Republic at a community vigil on May 6 that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the crossfire. Suniga wasn't a violent or confrontational person, she said. Five people were injured: two men, 20 and 23; two women, 20 and 21; and a 16-year-old boy, police said. A shoot-out at a Peoria sports bar killed one man and injured another person May 20. Police officers were dispatched to the Deli Sports Bar, near the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway and Peoria Avenue, at about 11:30 p.m. for a disorderly conduct call. Dispatchers could hear a man on the call arguing with a bar employee who refused to serve him. The man, later identified as 46-year-old Mario Franco from El Mirage, was refused service due to extreme intoxication, police said. Franco went to the parking lot, retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and fired into the air several times before shooting into the business, police said. One bar patron was injured. Franco then pointed the firearm at a couple sitting on a park bench outside the bar, police said. The parties began firing back and forth, according to police. Franco was struck and treated for his injuries, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Republic reporters Jose R. Gonzalez, Helen Rummel and Wren Smetana contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix-area bar shootings in May have left 4 dead, many reeling
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suniga looking forward to job as Ritzville PD chief
Apr. 8—RTIZVILLE — New Ritzville Police Chief Mike Suniga said he's learned a lot over his law enforcement career. "I got hooked when I was an Explorer Scout," he said. "It was just one of those things where I could see myself doing this and see myself making a career. And as I matured in law enforcement, I (thought), 'How am I going to leave a lasting impact?' I love helping people, and I love being able to solve problems, whether it's through the criminal justice system or through other systems and programs that are available." Suniga took over the job Monday. Previously, he was the Reardon Police chief, and before that, he worked for the Airway Heights Police Department for 15 years, he said. He started his career in Medical Lake. He also served in the Washington Air National Guard, retiring in 2022. "I did 21 and a half years in the Air National Guard as a security (officer)," he said. Suniga replaces interim chief Bill Benner, who replaced longtime RPD Chief Dave McCormick. McCormick was with the department for 32 years. His goals in law enforcement changed a little bit over time, Suniga said, and that evolution was one of the things that brought him to Ritzville. "Medical Lake was more of a bedroom community. When I went to Airway (Heights) I was a younger officer, ready for more excitement. I got a lot of it," he said. Now he wants to pass on what he's learned to his new department. "In December, I will hit 20 years being a full-time law enforcement officer. I want to be able to share my knowledge and further develop the agency and create a lasting benchmark on the agency that everyone will be excited about," Suniga said. He's talked to Benner and McCormick, he said, and wants to build on the work they've done. "In doing my research and homework, I know that there's a great opportunity for growth in Ritzville, (for the) Ritzville police to do some good things in the community, as far as expansion and things like that. Bringing in a different way of looking at law enforcement, but keeping that small-town feel, is what I'm excited to bring," Suniga said. One of his initiatives, he said, will be to increase the use of technology, something he was able to do in Reardon. "I love using technology to help officers. In Reardon, I was able to acquire about $90,000 worth of grant money that went towards technology and improvements on different things that Reardon couldn't necessarily afford without those grants," he said. "I want to leverage those technologies to make policing and Ritzville safer." Ritzville has four police officers, including the chief, with the potential of hiring a fifth. Retaining officers is difficult for any agency these days, he said, especially smaller agencies. One of his goals is to make Ritzville a department where officers come to stay for a while. "Coming up with unique strategies that may not have been used in these small communities. A good example is (Ritzville) recently (allowed) applicants to live up to 30 miles outside the community," he said. There are more opportunities like that, he said. "Maybe (recruiting) applicants from out of state, who maybe are ready to retire and are looking at having another career or looking at part-time officers to help supplement the (department), or maybe even reserve officers," Suniga said. "I'm looking forward to presenting and trying those options to see how we can get Ritzville to keep and maintain its law enforcement to a standard that the community and the council and the mayor want." Ritzville is a small town, but because it's on major highway routes, its officers can encounter problems that start out of town. Suniga said he's familiar with that since Airway Heights and Reardon also are on important transportation routes. Given the traffic volumes, incidents are going to happen, he said. "Preparing our officers for that eventuality, making sure they have the training they need, the equipment they need and the support they need so that when that happens, they are able to handle that situation," he said. He's looking forward to the job, he said. "I'm very excited to better understand the needs and the priorities of the department and go out and meet the community, understand what their needs are as it relates to law enforcement," he said.
