MESA, Ariz. — Two Phoenix residents have been arrested for allegedly throwing a firework at a Mesa residence and causing significant damage to the home.
Mesa police said Wednesday that Daniel J. Traynor, 18, and Eliyzar R. Frias, 19, had been booked into jail for causing an explosion in a neighborhood near Arizona Avenue and Guadalupe Road on the night of June 13.
A homeowner noticed his security camera detecting someone approaching his home that evening and then he heard a loud combustion. The blast caused windows to shatter and damaged the home's entryway. The home's resident sustained a minor injury.
Investigators determined a firework had likely caused the damage.
One of the suspects was detained in Tempe shortly after the incident and the other turned himself in on June 19.
The suspects are facing charges of arson, aggravated assault and criminal damage.
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.