Crime & Safety

Phoenix Police Arrest A Son For Allegedly Killing His Mother

Harlen Shelton is accused of killing his 74-year-old mother in a Phoenix home with what police call "a bladed object."

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Harlen Shelton was taken into police custody on suspicion of killing his mother inside a Phoenix residence Wednesday.
Harlen Shelton was taken into police custody on suspicion of killing his mother inside a Phoenix residence Wednesday. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

PHOENIX, AZ ­– Fifty-year-old Harlen Shelton was arrested for allegedly killing his mother Wednesday around noon in a Phoenix house.

Police officers were called to a home near 1000 E. Fairmount Avenue in Phoenix on a report of a death. Accordingly, officers arrived and found 74-year-old Tina Topali deceased in the residence.

Officers saw signs of trauma on Topali’s body, and determined the injuries were likely from a bladed object.

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After developing probable cause, the Phoenix officers arrested the suspect: Topali’s son Harlen Shelton, who was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of second degree murder.

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