Suspects in deadly Phoenix shooting arrested 1 mile from Mexico border: PD

PHOENIX – Police say a man and a woman wanted in connection to a deadly shooting in Phoenix were arrested after being found in a rental car one mile from the Mexican border.

What we know:

Phoenix police taped off the area surrounding Pop N’ Bottles Liquor following an Oct. 28 shooting near 16th Avenue and Buckeye Road around 6:30 p.m.

“Officers located an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased,” police said. 

The man who died at the hospital was later identified as 26-year-old Ricktavon Oshea Thompson.

Police say they learned that a second victim left the scene before officers arrived but later showed up at a hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

As for the suspect, he was described as a man who fled the scene in a gold-colored sedan.

Suspect tracked to San Diego, arrested near Mexican border

Dig deeper:

Investigators say a fight broke out before the shooting, where Thompson was assaulted by a man and a woman.

“At this time, a gunshot was heard and the second shooting victim was struck,” police said. “He walked away from the altercation after being shot. Thompson also began leaving the area when the unknown male suspect shot Thompson multiple times. The male and female both got into a sedan and fled the area.”

Police say they used automated license plate reader technology to help identify the suspect’s vehicle as it fled the area, leading investigators to identify the suspects as 32-year-old Amela Batlak and 29-year-old Stevie Nelson.

Investigators say they learned Batlak fled to California, where she and Nelson were found on Oct. 30 in a rental car one mile from the Mexico border.

“Both suspects were taken into custody and booked into the San Diego County Jail. Nelson will be extradited back to Arizona where he will be booked for 2nd degree murder,” police said.

Map of the area where the shooting happened:

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