10/9/23

A 31-year-old Chino Valley man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of a 16-year-old high school student. The murder occurred on the night of June 29th, 2018. The Chino Valley Police Department received a 911 call from a woman who reported the victim had been stabbed multiple times. Officers arrived within minutes and rendered lifesaving measures on the victim. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. 

Chino Valley police conducted a massive manhunt for the suspect, Donovan Larriba-Tucker, early the next morning. The investigation revealed a number of juveniles had met in a field to settle a dispute over a girl. The victim was not involved in the dispute and was simply a bystander. Larriba-Tucker stabbed the victim seven times as the victim yelled that he had nothing to do with the dispute. Evidence showed Larriba-Tucker had premediated the attack, fabricated an alibi, and attempted to change his appearance after the murder.

Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated, “Any murder is tragic, but the murder of a high school student is even more so. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who commit violence against others. I want criminals on notice that my office and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue anyone who would do harm to our community’s children.”

 

Sentencing for Larriba-Tucker is scheduled for November 9th.