PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Friday, Adonijah Josiah Ortega, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged via criminal complaint for Carjacking, Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The complaint alleges that on August 8, 2022, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Ortega approached the victim while he was entering his vehicle in the parking lot of a Target Store, located at 9350 West Northern Avenue, Peoria, Arizona. After Ortega approached the victim, he pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him, and demanded the victim give him his keys and wallet.
Ortega struck the victim multiple times in the head with the handgun and fired his weapon twice, striking the victim once in the right thigh. Ortega then took the victim’s keys and fled the scene with the victim’s vehicle. After Ortega fled, the victim limped toward the store where citizens rendered aid until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and multiple lacerations to his head.
A conviction for Carjacking carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence carries a minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Peoria Police Department, and the Phoenix Police Department are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-5351-PHX-DMF
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-137_ORTEGA
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.