Man arrested in Phoenix shooting that killed girl lying in bed, police say
Phoenix police arrested a man in connection with the fatal shooting on Friday of 15-year-old Graciela Molina.
Fernando Pina, 35, was taken into custody on Sunday on multiple charges, including reckless manslaughter and endangerment.
Phoenix police said officers responded to a shooting call at around 8:15 p.m. Friday near the area of 48th Street and Broadway Road. Officers found Molina with an apparent gunshot wound on the side of her neck, according to Maricopa County Superior Court records.
According to the records, Molina was in bed in a second-floor bedroom, in between her father and 11-year-old sister.
A bullet hole was found in the bedroom window, and a projectile was found in the bedroom wall opposite the window, arrest records stated.
Three spent casings were found near the victim’s residence in a vacant utility field near East Broadway Road.
On Sunday, arrest records said a witness came forward and said they saw a man, known as “Nando,” shoot a black handgun several times at a “block wall” before returning to his residence.
The block wall separated the utility lot and the neighborhood, and the casings found were consistent with the witness’s account.
After investigating, police identified “Nando” as Fernando Pina, and the witness confirmed this was the man they saw shooting the gun.
Pina was taken into custody at around 1:15 p.m. Sunday, and he admitted to owning firearms but denied shooting a gun on the date and time of the homicide, arrest records stated.
During a search of Pina’s vehicle, officers found a “Glock firearm box” and a spent casing in the box.
Police identified that the spent casing from the box and the three spent casings found in the utility lot were from the same gun, arrest records said. During a press conference Monday, police said they have forensic evidence that connects Pina to the shooting.
Pina was booked into a Maricopa County jail on charges of reckless manslaughter, endangerment, and discharging a firearm in city limits.
Molina’s family has set up a GoFundMe for funeral expenses. Donations can be sent via https://ca.go fundme.com/f/m42xxs-help-withandreas-funeral-expenses.