Southwest
Arizona State engineering graduates drown in waterfall days after convocation on hiking trip with classmates
Two recent Arizona State University (ASU) graduates drowned while visiting a popular nature area known as Fossil Creek last week.
The men were part of a group of 18 friends who hiked the four miles into the lower waterfalls on May 8, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) told FOX 10 Phoenix. Around 6 p.m., several nearby communication centers began receiving texts and calls to 911 about one or two men who entered the water and did not resurface, GCSO said in a press release.
Multiple departments responded to the scene, and witnesses told first responders that two men entered the water near the falls and did not come back up. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue remained on the scene overnight.
The next morning, two bodies were found by divers 20 feet underwater.
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The rise of social media photography has led to many wanting to visit the Fossil Creek area, near Camp Verde, Arizona. (FOX 10 Phoenix)
The men have been identified as 23-year-old Rakesh Reddy Lakkireddy and 25-year-old Rohith Manikanta Repala. Both graduated from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering just days before, on May 4. They were part of the school’s 4,589 spring graduates, according to a tweet from the dean of the Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, Kyle Squires.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of two of our very recent graduates who were preparing for the next steps in their promising lives,” Squires said in an emailed statement to Fox News. “Our sincere condolences go out to the families and friends of Rakesh and Rohith.”
The group did not intend on doing “a lot of swimming,” but they did take a couple of life jackets with them on the hike, GSCO’s Sgt. Cole LaBonte told FOX 10.
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It is about a four-mile hike into the lower waterfalls area of Fossil Creek. (FOX 10 Phoenix)
Three people were reportedly standing on a peninsula when they slipped into the water. It is unclear if they knew how to swim.
“They inadvertently got into a position that exceeded their skill level by slipping into the water,” LaBonte said. “The water was a lot deeper than they thought.”
The two men who drowned had just graduated from Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Seen here is a screenshot from the school’s livestreamed spring convocation on May 4, 2024. (ASU Live)
The drownings mark the first two for Fossil Creek of the year. The area is extremely busy during the summer months, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue’s Bill Pitterle told FOX 10 over the phone.
The rise of social media photography has led to increased crowds at Fossil Creek in recent years. The area in the Coconino National Forest requires visitors to pay fees, obtain parking permits for certain lots and make reservations from April 1 to Oct. 1. Camping is allowed during the spring-summer season in permitted areas. The closest town to Fossil Creek is Camp Verde, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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