Arizona man sentenced for 'violently attacking' homeless people, paralyzing 1

PHOENIX (TCN) -- A 26-year-old man will spend almost two decades behind bars for a series of violent attacks against two homeless people.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced July 5 that Isaiah Adams received a sentence of 19 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, plus four years of supervised probation. Adams pleaded guilty to armed robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs for sale, and one count of possession of dangerous drugs.

According to prosecutors, in June 2024, Adams "violently attacked a homeless man" while he was sleeping at a bus stop. Adams was on pretrial release for street-level drug sales at the time. Authorities said Adams "kicked the man in the face and ribs to wake him, and as the victim tried to escape, Adams shot him in the back." The victim became permanently paralyzed from the incident.

Nine days later, Adams confronted another homeless person, firing at least nine shots at the victim and striking them in the foot. Officials arrested Adams around 10 days later while he was driving a stolen car and was in possession of illegal drugs.

In a statement, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said, "This predator didn’t just commit random acts of violence; he deliberately targeted the most vulnerable people in our community. He shot, paralyzed, and terrorized individuals who were simply trying to survive. This kind of cruelty is beyond cowardly, and it has no place in Maricopa County."

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