Samantha Angela Somegustava gets LIFE in prison for 2005 murder

A Laveen woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the shooting of a man who had given her and a friend a ride.

Samantha Angela Somegustava, 26, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Valentin Cruz-Gabriel. Her sentence from Judge Timothy Ryan specifies that there is no possibility of parole.

According to court documents, Somegustava was hitchhiking on March 3, 2005, when Cruz-Gabriel gave her a ride in west Phoenix. She had him drive to a home so she could use the bathroom and, while there, picked up Richard Enos, and convinced Cruz-Gabriel to give him a ride, too. Police said Enos had a sawed-off shotgun, took over the car and that he and Somegustava drove to a vacant field where they killed and robbed Cruz-Gabriel.

Somegustava was arrested 11 days later at her home, in possession of Cruz-Gabriel's car and his credit card.

Enos was convicted of first-degree murder at trial and sentenced to life in prison in October 2007.

Huge mulch fire burning in Laveen closes high school

Betty H. Fairfax High School in Laveen canceled classes Monday due to unhealthy air quality from a huge mulch fire that continues to burn in the area.

Firefighters say they could be battling that fire for the next few days.

It started Sunday afternoon at R and D Recycling near 63rd Avenue and Baseline Road southwest of Phoenix. So far, 10 acres have burned.

Mulch fires are tricky because the flames get under the mulch and continue to burn inside the piles. Crews are using front-loaders to try to get to the center of the fire.

Huge plumes of smoke were visible for miles and the smell of the burning mulch, which is made up of wood chips, sawdust, hay and manure, permeated the area.

Because there are no fire hydrants in the area, getting water to the fire has been a challenge. Crews have had to pump water from canals nearly 1,000 feet away.

Investigators are not sure exactly how the fire started, but neighbors said this is not the first fire at this location.

"I walked outside and I go, 'Oh, it's on fire again,'" said Jennifer Foerst, who has lived in the area for six years. "It's happened more than once -- at least three times. ... They just don't wet it enough, and so when the winds blows, this is what happens."

While the fire is stubborn and causing firefighters concern, no buildings are threatened and no injuries have been reported.

Classes at Betty H. Fairfax High School, which is part of the Phoenix Union High School District, were expected to resume as scheduled Tuesday.

Laveen beer run murder at the Tumbleweed convenience store brought in public tips

Maricopa County Sheriff's investigators have arrested a Laveen man in connection with the shooting death of a convenience store clerk Saturday night. The Sheriff's Office says Alexander Fredericks, 22, shot and killed Antoun Hayek while trying to steal two 30-packs of beer from the Tumbleweed convenience store on 51st Ave. near Baseline.

Following the murder, the Sheriff's Office released surveillance photos showing the suspect entering the store (shown below), and asked for the public's help in identifying the suspect. Tips leds to Fredericks' arrest.

He was booked into jail on suspicion of first degee murder and burglary

Shooting in Laveen, 1 dead

A teenage boy was fatally shot and three other people were wounded during an altercation at a home in Laveen, authorities said.

Three teenage boys visited the home of a teenage girl about 9 p.m. on Friday and the group was talking in the doorway of the home when an argument broke out, according to police. Shots were fired after the girl's father tried to break up the fight.

It's unclear who opened fire but one of the teenage boys was killed, according to authorities. They said the girls' parents were shot along with one of the other boys but suffered non-life threatening injuries. The names of the teens and parents were not immediately released by police.