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Tempe woman arrested, accused of killing boyfriend
Investigators accuse 38-year-old Lora Flores of first-degree premeditated murder in connection with a shooting last week. Court documents accuse Flores of shooting her boyfriend in the upper torso area, and the boyfriend was later declared dead at a hospital.
TEMPE, Ariz. - Court documents are providing more details on a shooting in Tempe that left one person dead.
The shooting, according to initial reports from officials with the Tempe Police Department, happened in a neighborhood west of Guadalupe Road and McClintock Drive. The shooting happened near Marcos De Niza High School, which was placed on lockdown for a short time as a result.
In court documents, investigators state that police received a 911 call from 38-year-old Lora Flores, who said she was in a physical fight with her boyfriend of seven years, and that she shot him about five to 15 minutes prior to the phone call being made.
"Flores was already driving away from the residence and described ‘I just shot him and [expletive] left,’" according to court documents. "Flores refused to tell the [911 call taker] where she was headed to, other than she was going to see family."
According to investigators, Flores said the gun used in the shooting was hers, and Flores claimed she threw it off the side of the road in an unknown location.
"During the 911 call, Flores stated she said too much already, and she needed to call her attorney," read a portion of the court documents. "Flores also indicated the victim put their hands on her today and ‘choked me the [expletive] out.’"
Investigators say when officers arrived at the home at around 2:45 p.m., they found the victim in a hallway with an apparent gunshot wound to his upper torso area. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Court documents state police later tracked Flores to her brother's home in Chandler, where she was arrested without incident.
Lora Flores
"Flores was transported to the Tempe Police headquarters to be interviewed. Flores indicated she wished to speak with her attorney. Efforts were made to contact an attorney who her brother provided the name and number to, but the attorney was unable to be reached," read a portion of the court documents.
Investigators noted that during their contact with Flores, they found old contusions on her body, as well as an old healing wound that had scabbed over. No new injuries to Flores' body was visible, however.
According to court documents, search warrants were served for the crime scene, as well as Flores' brother's home in Chandler, and fired gun cartridges were found in two different areas of the scene.
"Based on finding two fired cartridge casings in different areas of the home, it appears this incident was not in the heat of an argument, but instead appeared to occur over a greater distance in the residence, thus showing an apparent intent consistent with premeditation, however brief, since there were multiple projectiles fired in two different locations of the residence," read a portion of the court documents.
In addition, investigators say several of the victim's friends spoke with detectives at the crime scene, after they learned of the incident, and according to one of them, the victim had been looking for a way out of his relationship with Flores.
"The friend indicated the victim told them about Flores striking the victim with open hands and being verbally abusive towards the victim. Within the last month, the victim told their friend something to the effect if [the victim was found dead], it was because [Flores shot the victim]," read a portion of the court documents.
Flores, according to court documents, is accused of first-degree murder. A judge has set a $1 million cash-only bond for Flores, and should she make bond, she will be required to undergo electronic monitoring, and will be placed under home confinement.
This was the second shooting involving a couple in the Phoenix area on April 28. Earlier in the day, officers in Buckeye responded to a home near Verrado Way and Eastview Way, where a woman shot her husband multiple times following an argument, while kids were inside the home.
Read More: Wife shot husband in Buckeye while kids were home, police say
If you believe you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text START to 88788. A live online chat is also available.
- Arizona Department of Economic Security - Domestic Violence Services
- (In Spanish) Arizona Department of Economic Security - Servicios de ayuda en casos de violencia doméstica
- City of Phoenix Domestic Violence Resources