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Arizona man indicted over chase, deadly crash
Prosecutors say Ali Alebadi faces murder, aggravated assault, and other charges following a March high-speed police chase that killed a woman.
PHOENIX - Prosecutors in Maricopa County say a man has been indicted for his alleged role in a pursuit and two crashes that left one person dead and two others hurt earlier in 2026.
What we know:
In a statement released on Sept. 3, officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say 20-year-old Ali Alebadi has been indicted by a grand jury on the following charges:
- One count of first degree murder
- One count of second degree murder
- Two counts of aggravated assault
- One count of unlawful flight from law enforcement vehicle.
All charges are felonies, according to prosecutors.
Ali Alebadi
The backstory:
Investigators allege Alebadi was driving on a suspended license with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.141 when he repeatedly blew through red lights and veered into oncoming traffic while actively evading law enforcement on March 22.
According to court records, the chain of incidents began around 7:30 a.m. near the Westgate Entertainment District, after Alebadi nearly lost control of his car while exiting the Loop 101 freeway. Investigators say an officer who was headed east near 57th and Glendale avenues spotted Alebadi's car traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed in the westbound lanes.
Over the next several miles, traffic cameras captured the vehicle running red lights at eight separate intersections and reaching speeds nearly three times the posted limit "through the narrow streets of downtown Glendale," pursuing officers wrote.
As Alebadi continued to evade police, officials say officers tried to initiate a traffic stop with lights and sirens blaring. Initial scene reports indicate the patrol vehicle entered the intersection at 56th Avenue on a red light, colliding with a pickup truck. While early command updates listed non-life-threatening injuries for both involved, court documents reveal the driver of the Tacoma sustained severe, life-altering injuries including broken ribs, while the officer suffered minor injuries.
Alebadi, investigators say, continued fleeing eastbound before running another red light at 51st Avenue, broadsiding a Nissan Sentra and launching both vehicles into a commercial building. The female driver of the Sentra was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her passenger suffered life-threatening injuries, and as of Aug. 20, was still in a coma.
Dig deeper:
Following hospital treatment for a broken leg, police allege that Alebadi fled the country to avoid arrest, using ties to Mexico and Iraq. He was captured on Aug. 19.
Murder suspect in drunken Glendale road rampage held on $3M bond after allegedly fleeing to Iraq, Mexico
After five months on the run in Mexico and Iraq, the 20-year-old accused of a deadly drunk-driving rampage is back in Maricopa County behind a $3 million cash bond.
What's next:
Prosecutors say Alebadi is being held on a $3 million bond.
"Trial is set for April 2027," officials with MCAO wrote.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Sept. 3, 2026, and from a FOX 10 news report that was published on Aug. 20, 2026.