Teen girl killed in Coolidge drive-by shooting; stolen car found in Gilbert

COOLIDGE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A 14-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting early Thursday morning in Coolidge and authorities are still looking for the suspect after finding their stolen car in another city. It happened just after midnight at a home east of state Route 287, north of Coolidge Avenue. First responders found Miyka Crawford shot in the head and rushed her to Florence Anthem Hospital, where she later died. Investigators said they found bullet casings on the side of the road. “Over a dozen bullet holes pierced the front of the home, entering the living room and bedrooms,” Coolidge Police Commander Mark Tercero told Arizona’s Family.

Family members say the eighth-grader was a sweet, outgoing kid who loved TikTok, making videos and hanging out with her sister. “People ask how are you doing, but you honestly can’t answer that,” said Antoinette Scott, Miyka’s aunt. “We don’t know from day to day. Every hour is different. One minute we reminisce and watch videos and the next minute everybody is breaking down. She was 14, just a baby.”

Others were also shaken up by the tragedy. “She had so much going for her, and it was just ripped away. She is no longer with us. She had more to live for,” said Cosme Gomez, a neighbor. Gomez said the gunshots rang out in the neighborhood. “It sounded like a machine gun more than anything,” he said. “It’s just unreal. It’s like something out of the movies.”

Scott says whoever is responsible for her niece’s death has no regard for anyone’s life. “That’s a different mindset of a different person,” said Scott. “That’s a different monster to shoot inside a house, literally, that’s not target practice, this is you are not caring about who is inside, behind the walls. You don’t care. That’s a monster. That’s not a functioning human being.”

Detectives got a description of the suspect’s car, a blue-colored Kia, that had been stolen from Eloy. That car was later found abandoned in Gilbert. A suspect remains on the run. Coolidge Police say they are working with a number of law enforcement agencies and are continuing to follow up on what they’re calling “strong leads.” “We are trying to put those pieces together to determine what was the motive, why was this home targeted. It’s a senseless act of violence, a 14-year old girl lost her life,” said Tercero.

Arizona’s Family is working on gathering more information. Check back for details.

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