The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office announced two suspects are in custody in connection to an ambush shooting on Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Prescott Valley Police officers early Sunday morning. An investigation linked the weapons used in the ambush to a previous drive-by shooting in Castle Canyon Mesa on November 15th, as well as other incidents across the state.
The Sunday shooting occurred near Carla Vista Drive in Prescott Valley. Law enforcement personnel came under fire from a truck occupied by suspects using a green laser. One round struck a YCSO vehicle, narrowly missing the deputy. The suspect vehicle, a black 2021 Chevy Silverado, was soon located and its occupants detained. Firearms seized from the truck matched the November 15th Castle Canyon Mesa shooting and other recent shootings in the area.
The suspects have been identified as 21-year-old Alex Heredia-Rivera and a 17-year-old male. The 17-year-old suspect is in the country illegally and currently has an ICE detainer placed on him. Both suspects face multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault on law enforcement. Sheriff David Rhodes said, “This case underscores the danger our first responders face every day.”