PHOENIX — A man accused of helping the suspect who allegedly murdered three people in Ahwatukee last week has been arrested by Phoenix police.
Dorian Rice, 53, is accused of driving 30-year-old Chase Christman to a residence near 48th Street and Warner Road where Christman planned to rob the residents. Rice then allegedly drove Christman away from the scene after the three victims were killed.
The victims died in the early morning hours of July 14. A fire was set at the residence on July 15, which led to police discovering the victims' bodies. Police said the investigation into the deadly incident remains active.
Rice was arrested on July 23 and could be facing multiple felony charges.
The victims were identified as 27-year-old Merissa Honeycutt, 25-year-old Anthony Frederickson-Ceccarelli and 37-year-old Samuel Lott.
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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.
