MESA, AZ — A man has been arrested by police in connection to a January double shooting that left two people dead.
Just before 3 a.m. on January 28, Mesa police were called to a neighborhood near Alma School Road and Main Street for reports of a shooting.
A woman reported to authorities that two people were shot in the backyard of a home and when she went to investigate, a man wearing a hoodie, mask, and carrying a backpack, pushed his way past her.
Officers located a man and woman, later identified as 32-year-old Mottio Paschal and 24-year-old Makinley Charnoski, who had died.
Detectives were able to identify the person who drove the suspect to the shooting, who later confirmed they drove a man, identified by police as 53-year-old Aaron Thomas, to "purchase pills" and described Thomas wearing the same attire that the woman on scene had provided.
On Thursday, police located Thomas and brought him into custody.
Thomas admitted to being in the area on the night of the shooting, but claimed the person who drove him there went to the home and not him.
Police were able to locate a handgun at Thomas' residence that matched the caliber of gun used in the shooting.
Thomas is facing two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery, and one count of misconduct involving weapons.
