Dave Dinkins, 26, has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for murdering a man in an area in Phoenix known as "The Zone", Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced Friday.
Dinkins pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping after the death of Geoffrey Rugwiro in March 2023.
The incident occurred near 11th Avenue and Madison Street early in the morning on March 21. Responding officers found a burning dumpster in the area and discovered a body inside.
See previous ABC15 coverage of the incident in the player above.
Officials say Rugwiro was beaten to death and then set on fire in a dumpster.
The county attorney says Rugwiro's family called him "one of the few beacons of hope for life" after their family escaped genocide in Rwanda.
“This defendant showed an unimaginable level of cruelty and an immense disregard for the victim’s life,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “For too many years, ‘The Zone’ was a hotbed of crime and violence, plaguing those living and working in and around it. Everyone in Maricopa County deserves to feel safe in our community. My office is dedicated to ensuring those who threaten that safety and security are held accountable.”
Another man, 20-year-old Isaiah Baskin, is awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in Rugwiro's death.
