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westvalleyview.com
The Voice of the West Valley for 33 years
January 16, 2019
Family seeks answers in 2007 murders
INSIDE
This Week
By Octavio Serrano
NEWS .............. 3 Buckeye Police mourn death of K-9 Cido
FEATURES .... 26 Indulge the senses at The Wigwam’s new spa
9 DAYS ......... 22 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
Eleven years after her cousin’s murder, Vanessa Camacho wants closure. She battles tears as she speaks about Santana Monique Armijo, whose body was found face down and naked near Verrado Way in Buckeye at 6:30 a.m. September 20, 2007. Armijo, 21, was next to a known acquaintance, also deceased, Michael Martinez, 28. No arrests have been made. Camacho and other family members spoke about Armijo during a January 11 Buckeye Police Department press conference designed with the hopes someone may step forward with leads. Little is known about Martinez, except he’s from California and his sister did not want to share much about him, according to Donna Rossi, Buckeye Police spokeswoman. A contractor found the two just north of Interstate 10, about 10 to 15 feet west of Verrado Way, and police believe they were killed elsewhere and dumped. Rossi said it didn’t appear the suspects tried to cover the bodies.
Buckeye detective Robert DeMaro said there have been a few tips over the years, but none have panned out. “We know there’s somebody out there who knows something and that’s why we are here today,” DeMaro said. “There were so many people involved in the case at the time. It is hard to narrow down the focus to the person who actually committed the crimes.” This case has been very hard on Armijo’s family as they seek closure. Armijo’s aunt, Denise Garcia, said she is truly missed, and they need justice. “To know they (the kill-
Answers...
continued on page 7
Vanessa Camacho and Denise Garcia hold a picture of murder victim Santana Monique Armijo. Camacho and Garcia are Armijo’s cousin and aunt, respectively. (West Valley View photo by Octavio Serrano)
Two ex-Bradley Academy employees indicted
LETTERS ........................13 BUSINESS..................... 18 SPORTS ..........................20 FEATURES .....................24 YOUTH ...........................28 OBITUARIES .................29 CLASSIFIEDS................30 EAST
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By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Two former employees of the now-shuttered Bradley Academy of Excellence in Goodyear, also known as Discovery Creemos Academy, were indicted for their alleged roles in the approximately $2.2 million fraud involving the use of false students. According to the indictment, Principal Harold Cadiz and registrar Joann Riojas Vega allegedly conspired with other school employees to overreport
the number of enrolled students to the Arizona Department of Education. This increased the funds paid to Bradley Academy, which unexpectedly closed in January 2018, by the Arizona Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, resulting in approximately $2.2 million of fraudulently obtained funding. In November 2018, Daniel Hughes, the chairman and director of the Bradley
Academy, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft for his role in the fraud. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Mary Harriss and Jordyn Raimondo. When Hughes took control of Discovery Creemos Academy in 2014, school costs increased exponentially. From 2012 through 2017, school enrollment ranged from 380 to 522, according to Arizonans
Indictment...continued on page 3
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