Suspect goes on armed carjacking spree after kidnapping woman: court docs

Suspect accused of violent carjackings across Phoenix-area under arrest

The suspect in a string of violent carjackings across the Valley allegedly kidnapped his girlfriend, and dragged her along during his crime spree, according to police.

PHOENIX - A series of armed carjackings involved seven victims, including children, shots fired, and armed robberies all within one hour, according to Phoenix Police and court records.

First Reported Incident:

At around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, Gila River Police responded to a kidnapping where shots were fired. However, both the victim and suspect were not found.

Second Reported Incident:

Around 3:33 p.m., Phoenix officers responded to an armed robbery carjacking where shots were fired near 50th Avenue and Baseline Road in South Phoenix. The victim had been leaving a business in his Ford F-150 when he was confronted by a suspect described as a Hispanic or Native man, who approached the truck, shot the driver through the window and demanded the vehicle. Police said the victim complied and got out, as the suspect hopped in the truck, along with an unknown woman in the passenger seat. In the truck, a .45 caliber was found. 

Third Reported Incident:

Less than 20 minutes later, Phoenix Police responded to another carjacking involving shots fired roughly a block away on Ardmore Road, according to court documents. The victim said she was driving her three kids home from school when a truck approached her, stopped in traffic and blocked her. She reported that the driver, similarly described as a Hispanic or Native man, pointed a handgun at her from within the truck. She said he was dressed in a black beanie, black sweatshirt and had a black handgun. 

The woman said the suspect got out of the truck, approached her in the car, and pointed the gun at her and her daughter. At the same time, the suspect's truck rolled past the woman's car and crashed into a nearby front yard. The suspect ordered the woman and her three children to get out of the vehicle, before firing one round into one of the doors. 

The suspect got into the driver's seat while a woman "emerged from an unknown location behind the victim's vehicle," and got in the passenger seat before driving off, court documents said. The victim's phone was left in the vehicle and the 911 call was delayed.

Fourth Reported Incident:

At 3:45 p.m., another carjacking was reported near Loop 202 and Elliot Road. A victim told Phoenix officers that a Hispanic or Native man approached her and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun through her front windshield. One round was fired through the windshield, and a second round though the driver's side door window. The victim complied and got out.

A witness told police he said the vehicle from the third incident crashed nearby, and watched as a man and woman got out and walked toward a RAV4. The suspect fired shots into the RAV 4, while the woman approached the passenger side. 

Fifth Reported Incident:

At 3:50 p.m., another carjacking was reported at Loop 202 and Estrella Drive, where another victim reported a Hispanic or Native man approached his vehicle, pointed a gun through the windshield, and went to his door. The victim got scared and drove off, when the suspect struck his driver-side window.

The victim reported what was believed to be blood on the outside of their window and heard two pops. 

Dig deeper:

A woman told Phoenix Police she was the kidnapped victim and her boyfriend, identified as 36-year-olf Johnny Valdez was the suspect. She told officers she was with Valdez during several carjacking armed robberies, and she "was not free to leave during the crime spree," court documents said. 

She said Valdez had her phone, as he committed an alleged kidnapping and carjacking near 35th Avenue and Baseline Road. The woman detailed the crime spree, saying Valdez held her against her will, threatened to kill her, and fired shots in a home before the kidnapping, according to records.

Phoenix Police pinged Valdez's phone location and tracked him to the area of East Van Buren and North 23rd Street, before taking him into custody.

The backstory:

A court official said Valdez has a violent criminal history, including seven felony convictions and 11 misdemeanor convictions. 

"He also has gang affiliations as recent as 2019. The state believes he's an extreme danger to the community," the official said in a court hearing. 
"It's relevant that he committed these actions while dragging along his kidnapping victim as well."

What's next:

Valdez is accused of 16 charges, including aggravated assault, theft by means of transportation, armed robbery with a deadly weapon and probation violation. He is being held on a $500,000 cash bond. 

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Phoenix Police. Anonymous tips can be made to Silent Witness at 480-948-6377