Arizona man charged with fatally shooting homeless woman in alley near his home

CHANDLER, Ariz. (TCD) — A 41-year-old man faces a murder charge after he allegedly shot dead a homeless woman who was in the alley behind his house.

According to the Chandler Police Department, On Friday, January 20 at 9:24 a.m., officers received a gunshot call near Arizona Avenue and Fairview Street and found a woman in her 30s with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, Jessica Luz, was reportedly taken to a local hospital, where she died of her injuries.

Luz was reportedly homeless and known to “travel in the area.”

On the day of the shooting, the suspect, James Taylor, was reportedly angry with Luz because she was in the alley and her dogs were barking at her. Taylor reportedly “yelled at Luz to get out of the driveway and Luz refused to leave.”

Taylor allegedly got a gun inside her house and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t leave. She allegedly refused again and Taylor allegedly shot her.

Chandler police reportedly found Luz walking away from the area of ​​the shooting and into another nearby yard. Taylor eventually surrendered to police and was taken into custody for first degree murder and possession of a weapon by a prohibited possessor.

According to court documents cited by AZ Family, during negotiations to have him surrendered, Taylor allegedly told police that he wanted to kill himself by a cop and that he had attempted suicide the night before, and was angry that he had survived.

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