Man accused of killing woman, bringing her body to Phoenix police station

PHOENIX - Newly-released court documents are giving us new information on the case of a man who allegedly killed his girlfriend and drove a truck with her body inside to a west Phoenix police station.

The backstory:

The incident happened on the morning of Nov. 18. Police said the suspect flagged down an officer outside the police station near 59th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard just after 5 a.m., and said his girlfriend was dead inside the back of his vehicle.

"After inspecting the vehicle, an adult female was located suffering from obvious signs of trauma," police said. "Phoenix Fire responded and pronounced the woman deceased."

Dig deeper:

In court documents, the suspect was identified as 36-year-old Josue Barreras Anaya, and the officer that Barreras allegedly flagged down is a Phoenix Police sergeant who was returning to the Maryvale Precinct at the time of the incident.

Per investigators, Barreras told the officer that he accidentally shot his girlfriend. Police have identified the girlfriend as 32-year-old Jessica Guzman. After he was advised of his Miranda rights, Barreras said that he and the victim were asleep when Barreras' pistol, which was under his pillow, fell to the ground.

The sound, according to court documents, startled the victim, who then argued with Barreras. The gun was later picked up by Barreras, and Guzman grabbed hold of it. Both then struggled over the gun, which went off twice.

"Officers processed [Barreras'] hands for gunshot residue and asked him standard procedure questions. [Barreras] then requested an attorney, and was not questioned further," read a portion of the court documents.

Another investigative unit was later sent to the home where the shooting happened.

"When you’re a patrol officer, you don’t expect somebody to come to you and just tell you that there’s an individual deceased in the back of the truck and that you’re responsible for, so I’m sure those officers were perplexed," said Sgt. Brian Bower with the Phoenix Police Department.

Local perspective:

People living in the area of the original crime scene were stunned to wake up to the commotion, and expressed shock over what allegedly happened.

"It’s sad. It’s so sad. I wish nothing but peace for her and her family. It’s not a good situation for anyone to be in," said one area resident.

What's next:

According to police, the man's confession doesn't make this a closed case, as the story can change.

A judge, meanwhile, has set a $1 million secured appearance bond for Barreras. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Map of area where the victim was found