THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
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The Voice of the West Valley for 34 years
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JANUARY 8, 2020
Five to be tried for 2018 murder BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
NEWS .............. 7 Goodyear family escapes Flint water crisis
SPORTS ........ 24 Patriot All America golf tournament at Wigwam
9 DAYS ......... 26 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
OPINION .......................14 BUSINESS..................... 16 SPORTS ..........................23 FEATURES .....................27 YOUTH ...........................32 OBITUARIES .................34 CLASSIFIEDS................35 SOUTH
It’s the kind of block where neighbors say hello to each other, kids ride their bikes or play catch in the street. Even by Goodyear standards, the neighborhood is tidy and new, with dozens of homes being built near South Cotton Lane and West Van Buren Street. The corner of Morning Glory Street and 174th Drive is quiet and peaceful — usually. Except for one night, April 10, 2018. “That was a scary night,” said a Morning Glory Street resident, who did not want to have his name used. That night, he said, he and his girlfriend drank some wine and went to sleep early. “I got up to get some ice cream,” he said. “And I saw all the lights.” Police cars were on the scene, emergency lights flashing. Antoine Rogers was dead. From the outside, the house looks suburban pacific; inside, it was deadly violent. A group of armed men invaded the
Left, Joseph “Monster” Gutierrez is accused of the April 10, 2018, fatal shooting of Antoine Rogers in Goodyear. (Photo courtesy Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office) Top, Antoine Rogers was shot to death the night of April 10, 2018, at his Goodyear home. (West Valley View photo by Tom Scanlon)
house, looking for money. Rogers confronted them. In what would seem to be a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie, Rogers and one of the invaders aimed big guns and blasted away from close range. But this was no movie. Rogers fell over, dead. The other man dropped an AK-47 assault rifle and hobbled out of the house,
screaming he was about to die. He passed Rogers’ girlfriend, who had gone out to empty the trash and was grabbed by one of the assailants, allowing the rest of the group to enter the home. After the gun battle, when the intruders came running out of the home, the man holding the woman shoved her away.
Trial...continued on page 2
Buckeye Union grad signs with the D-backs BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI West Valley View Executive Editor
Buckeye Union High School graduate Kole Calhoun called signing a two-year deal with the D-backs “a dream come true.” The terms of the contract were not disclosed. “I was born and raised here, so I grew up a Diamondbacks fan,” Calhoun said. “As a kid, I always dreamed of playing for the Diamondbacks and now I have the opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited.” His former team, the Los Angeles Angels, bought out for $1 million the $14 million option on Calhoun’s contract.
“When the Angels decided to decline my option, (the D-backs) were calling,” he said. “I think just for me, personally, I wanted to be on a team who wanted me. Having that phone call the very first day and for the Diamondbacks to be so engaging, it was something I wanted.” Calhoun, 32, ranks third among all AL outfielders since 2014 in RBI (416) and total bases (1,406), trailing Mike Trout/LAA (533 RBI/1,758 TB) and Mookie Betts/ BOS (455 RBI/1,616 TB) respectively. Additionally, Calhoun is fourth during that span with 132 home runs, behind
Trout (217), George Springer/HOU (149) and Betts (137), and 821 hits, which are fewer than only Betts (935), Trout (881) and Brett Gardner/NYY (834). Defensively, the former Arizona State Sun Devil (2009-10), is a four-time American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalist in right field (2015, 2017-2019), including winning the top fielding award in 2015. In the last five years (2015-19), Calhoun leads all right fielders with 6,478 innings and 45 assists. A 2006 Buckeye Union High School
D-backs...continued on page 3