Man pleads not guilty in double-murder of women in Surprise

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - One of the men accused of a shocking double-murder of two elderly women in Surprise has pleaded not guilty.

Andrew Lauro pleaded not guilty to charges in court on Tuesday morning.

The 24-year-old was arrested after 70-year-old Barbara Leslie and 75-year-old Ruth Schwed were found dead inside Leslie's home in the Sun City Grand retirement community.

The two women were found dead when police went to the home after Schwed's children called police and told them their hadn't heard from their mother for several days.

Schwed, a native of New Mexico, was visiting Leslie at her home in Surprise.

Police also say they found a cell phone at the scene and when they called one of the contacts in the phone, the person who answered told investigators that Lauro had confessed about the crime.

A second suspect in the murders, Montez Wright, was later arrested in Michigan and he is awaiting extradition back to Arizona.

Lauro is facing two charges of first-degree murder and one count each of armed robbery and theft.