Southwest
Venezuelan national accused of claiming control over Arizona community, threatening residents: report
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A Venezuelan national accused of threatening Arizona residents at gunpoint while claiming control over part of a Maricopa County community is facing multiple felony charges, including terrorism, authorities said.
Arizona Department of Public Safety investigators allege Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga, 27, claimed control over part of Maricopa and threatened residents with deadly weapons in an effort to extort money, according to reporting by InMaricopa and statements from state authorities.
DPS spokesperson Bart Graves told InMaricopa detectives began investigating Erazo-Zuniga in December after receiving information that he was “claiming Hidden Valley in Maricopa as his territory and demanding money from victims.”
Investigators allege Erazo-Zuniga was tied to a series of violent incidents involving residents who were targeted at their homes. In one 2024 incident, authorities say he put a victim in a headlock and held a knife to the person’s neck, leaving a cut. Last month, investigators allege he waited at the end of another victim’s driveway and held the victim at gunpoint.
Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga, a Venezuelan national, was arrested in Maricopa, Arizona, for allegedly extorting residents and claiming control over part of the community. (Joshua Lott/Reuters; Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
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During a search of Erazo-Zuniga’s bedroom, detectives recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the December gunpoint incident, Graves said.
Erazo-Zuniga was booked into the Pinal County Jail, where jail records show he remains in custody on a $250,000 secured bond. He was later indicted by a Pinal County grand jury.
Court records obtained by the outlet show the grand jury charged Erazo-Zuniga with aggravated assault involving a firearm, two counts of forgery and two counts of misconduct involving weapons, including possession of handguns while prohibited. Prosecutors allege the aggravated assault charge qualifies as a dangerous felony because it involved the use or threatened exhibition of a firearm.
Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga is in custody at the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. (Google Maps)
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DPS has also stated that Erazo-Zuniga is charged with assisting a criminal street gang and terrorism, though those allegations were outlined by the agency rather than detailed in the indictment documents released by the Pinal County Superior Court. Authorities have said additional charges could be forthcoming, potentially at the federal level.
According to a minute entry filed in superior court, Erazo-Zuniga is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
Graves said investigators believe there may be multiple additional victims, but that some have been afraid to come forward.
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“We encourage them to contact our tip line,” Graves said. DPS asked anyone with information related to the case to call 602-644-5805.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the investigation could expand beyond Maricopa.
The case comes amid heightened national law enforcement scrutiny of Venezuelan criminal groups following a series of high-profile investigations in Colorado in 2024 and 2025.
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Federal prosecutors there indicted Venezuelan nationals accused of participating in organized robberies, kidnappings, extortion schemes and firearms offenses tied to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua. While some early claims of gang “takeovers” were later disputed or clarified, authorities have confirmed multiple violent cases involving coordinated criminal activity and armed suspects.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and the FBI for additional information.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests
Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.
The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.
The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.
The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.
The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”
“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”
That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.
Los Angeles, Ca
Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary, which happened on the 1200 block of El Vago Drive in La Cañada Flintridge on May 2.
The burglary happened around 7:20 p.m. Detectives are actively investigating if the burglary is connected to a string of other recent burglaries in L.A. County.
A woman who lives in the area contacted KTLA about the burglary after she noticed that security camera footage of the suspects matched the suspects seen in a different burglary in Studio City. During the Studio City burglary, the suspects attacked a Good Samaritan with bear spray.
LASD Capt. Ryan Vienna called the rash of burglaries in the region “unacceptable.” LASD has deployed additional deputies to the La Cañada Flintridge area in response to the burglary.
“I ask all members of the community to promptly report suspicious activity or crimes in progress, as well as cooperate with our investigators so we may apprehend those who would or have caused harm,” Vienna said.
No other details have been revealed in the case as it remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact LASD at (818) 236-4015.
Burglaries are an ongoing problem across Southern California in recent months. On May 5, four men were arrested for stealing more than $100,000 in valuables form a Thousand Oaks home, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
LASD provided following burglary prevention tips:
- Lock all doors and windows, even when home
- Keep exterior lights on during nighttime hours
- Utilize alarm systems and surveillance cameras if available
- Avoid leaving valuables visible from outside the home
- Collect mail and packages promptly
- Report suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood immediately
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