Crime & Safety
Teen Kidnapped And Killed In Phoenix: Police
The accused kidnapper dumped the teen's body in the open desert, police say.
PHOENIX, AZ — A Phoenix teenager was kidnapped, killed and dumped in the open desert Wednesday, according to Phoenix Police.
Oscar Ortega, 19, was kidnapped near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Union Hills Drive sometime after 2 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
Jerssen Perez, 18, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping, police said. He was in custody at the Maricopa County Jail as of Thursday.
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Ortega was walking home from his girlfriend's house around 2 a.m. Wednesday when Perez is suspected of kidnapping Ortega at gunpoint by forcing him into a vehicle, according to police.
Police say they suspect that Perez shot Ortega inside the vehicle and then dumped his body in the open desert.
Find out what's happening in Phoenixfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
When Ortega didn't arrive home Wednesday morning, his family reported to police that he might have been kidnapped.
Police say they found Perez around 3 p.m. Wednesday, near the scene of the kidnapping.
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