Woman dead, man in jail after gunfire erupts during Phoenix home invasion

A woman is dead and a man is in jail after gunfire broke out during an apparent home invasion attempt in south Phoenix early Monday, authorities said.

Another man was hospitalized after getting shot during the incident, the Phoenix Police Department said.

Officers patrolling near Central Avenue and Baseline Road heard shots around 2:15 a.m. and spotted a Black Chrysler speeding away, according to court documents.

They followed the car until it pulled into an industrial lot near Second Avenue and Broadway Road, where it crashed into a stack of wood pallets.

The driver, identified later as 23-year-old Omar Rivas, got out and started running away, but officers took him into custody, police said.

Officers then found two injured people still in the car.

Mia Padilla, who was in the back seat, had multiple gunshot wounds to her lower extremities, according to court records. The 19-year-old woman died after being taken to a hospital.

A man in the front passenger seat had been shot in the leg. He was hospitalized in stable condition.

While officers were dealing with the scene at the industrial lot, a man reported an armed robbery at his home near Second Avenue and Broadway Road. Police determined the incidents were related.

The resident said he was pistol-whipped but was able to retrieve his semiautomatic rifle from a bedroom during the home invasion, according to court documents. He said he shot at the assailants to chase them off and continued firing as they drove away in a Black Chrysler.

“The homeowner was questioned and released pending further investigation,” Sgt. Phil Krynsky said in a press release.