Second suspect arrested for murder of Buckeye teen, police say

A second suspect has been arrested months after a shooting in Buckeye that left a teenager dead.

Brendan Valenzuela, 15, was found with a gunshot wound near Crown King Road and 257th Drive just after 3 a.m. on Jan. 22. He was hospitalized in life-threatening condition where he later died.

Investigators say Valenzuela was with a group of people near St Charles Court and 255th Drive when some kind of fight broke out.

The suspect pulled out a gun and shot Valenzuela before leaving in an unknown vehicle, police said. Another person drove Valenzuela away from the area before calling 911.

On Feb. 5, Buckeye Police said a 17-year-old boy was arrested following a search warrant at home for the murder of Valenzuela. He was booked into a juvenile detention facility.

The suspect is reportedly known to Valenzuela, but no other information was released.

On March 15, police arrested a second suspect in the case at a Phoenix home. He was identified as 19-year-old Michael Michel.

Michael was booked into jail on a number of charges, including homicide, assault and robbery.

Michael Michel

Michael Michel

Map of the crime scene:

Anyone with information is asked to call Buckeye PD's tip line at 623-349-6411.

Crime and Public SafetyBuckeyeNewsAlerts