A man has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for a series of violent armed robberies in Phoenix, two of which resulted in shootings, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced.
Both victims survived.
On April 12, 2021, Trey Waters, 34, forced into a hotel room near 51st Avenue and Interstate 10, shot a man in the neck, bound a woman’s hands with duct tape, and escaped with their money.
Two weeks later, Waters robbed and battered a food vendor with a revolver on 24th Street and South Mountain Avenue, threatening two women in the process.
On May 9, 2021, Waters shot a clerk while attempting to rob a convenience store on 40th Street and Southern Avenue. He shot her twice as she backed away, and then again while she lay on the floor.
The cashier, the second person Waters shot, sustained several critical injuries.
The following day, Phoenix police detained Waters near Central and Sunland Avenues. He was armed at the time, but was apprehended without incident, just as he was going to enter another convenience shop with the same gun used in the previous incidents. A search of his automobile revealed a passport taken from one of the victims.
A jury found Waters guilty of all charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping, severe assault, and attempted second-degree murder.
“A guilty verdict on every count, followed by a sentence of this length, sends an unmistakable message that anyone who terrorizes innocent people with a gun will be held accountable,” Mitchell stated.
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