Briefs | Arizona Reports 682 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 8 Deaths | Kingman Daily Miner

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials report 682 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight more deaths.

The State Health Department of Services released the latest pandemic numbers Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in Arizona to 860,169 and the number of deaths to 17,276. The number of patients hospitalized for virus-related reasons nationwide rose slightly to 615, of whom 185 were in intensive care.

More than 2.1 million people, or roughly 40% of the population of Arizona, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 2.8 million residents have received at least one vaccine, according to the state coronavirus dashboard.

Meanwhile, state health officials said there are still nearly 60,000 appointments available at state vaccination sites on the Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff subways.

Sheriff’s Office: Men from the Phoenix area were victims of a plane crash

WINSLOW – Navajo County authorities have identified the two people killed in a twin-engine plane crash near Winslow on Friday as residents of the Phoenix area.

Those killed were William Whittington, 70, from Scottsdale and Stephen Kirkby, 48, from Cave Creek, the county sheriff’s office said in a brief statement on Monday evening.

No information has been released about the possible cause of the crash, which is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. The crash occurred near the intersection of State Route 87 and Interstate 40.

Suspect arrested while shooting a woman in west Phoenix

PHOENIX – A suspect was arrested in a shootout that killed a woman in a shop in West Phoenix, according to police.

Phoenix police said when officers arrived at the scene around 1 a.m. on Sunday, they found 20-year-old Gloria Zermeno in the parking lot on the ground.

Zermeno was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said 37-year-old Vincente Diaz-Vargas faces a first-degree murder charge after being identified as a possible suspect through collected forensic evidence, testimony and surveillance videos.

It was unclear Monday whether Diaz-Vargas still had a lawyer.

Police said there had been a fight in the parking lot earlier that night, which included Zermeno.

Investigators checked the surveillance video and found a car approaching and stopping near the parking lot where Zermeno was standing.

Several shots were fired from the car before the driver sped away and Zermeno fell to the ground.

During a search of Diaz-Vargas’s house, police reported they had found several handguns and rifles.

2 men accused of robbing 13 banks in the Phoenix area since January

PHOENIX – Two men who have allegedly robbed more than a dozen banks in the greater Phoenix area since January have been arrested, the FBI said on Monday.

Richard Pratt, 36, was arrested in Phoenix on April 5 for alleged involvement in 11 bank robberies, while Francisco Bejarano, 32, was arrested last Thursday in Goodyear in connection with two bank robberies – one in Glendale on April 22nd. January and the other in Phoenix four days later.

FBI officials said Pratt robbed five banks in Phoenix, two in Apache Junction, two in Casa Grande, one in Goodyear and one in Glendale between January 21 and April 4, community has been robbed in 12 cases related to the robberies indicted, while Bejarano has been indicted on three counts. Both men remain in federal custody after hearings.

Phoenix Police: 1 year old OK after taking the pill in hotel

PHOENIX – Phoenix police say a 1-year-old girl who was hospitalized in a hotel after swallowing an unknown pill has recovered.

Police spokeswoman Mercedes Fortune said Monday that the child “no longer needs medical help”.

On Sunday morning, authorities said the girl was taken to hospital after taking the pill. Firefighters say the baby suffered from “altered levels of consciousness” and then went into cardiac arrest.

The child’s parents tried to remove the pill from her mouth before calling 911. Fortune says no arrests will be made. She didn’t say what the pill was or how the girl found it.

Fatal shooting suspects wanted in Tucson parking garage

TUCSON – Tucson Police are looking for two suspects who fatally shot and killed a man fleeing a downtown parking garage. Authorities said they received multiple 911 calls about a shootout at around 2:30 a.m. on Congress Street near Toole Avenue on Sunday.

Witnesses say two men with a gun tried to rob people in a parking garage and then stole a pickup truck. They collided with several cars as they went to the first floor.

Investigators say they shot a man in the chest who was one of several people who faced them. Officers who responded tried first aid but were pronounced dead. He has since been identified as Mark Edward Doe, 52.

A few hours later, the police discovered the pickup, but only with the driver. They were trying to overtake the car when the driver opened fire on the officers.

Authorities say the driver got out of the car and fled to a nearby apartment complex. SWAT officers searched the area but could not find it.