Jealous man shoots girlfriend 11 times after she receives male friend's texts

 A man from Arizona faces life imprisonment, plus more, for the brutal killing of his girlfriend amidst sporadic gunfire driven by jealousy after she conversed with a male acquaintance.

This February, a jury in Maricopa County found Adrian Aguilar, 23, guilty of one count of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Amria Crofton.

He received a life sentence plus an additional 26-year term on Tuesday.

"This young woman bestowed her trust upon the defendant, and he repaid it with ruthless brutality," stated Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in a news release discussing the sentencing. "His actions were fueled by jealousy, calculated, and utterly heartless."

The incident unfolded in June 2023, when the couple, who had been dating for three months, was driving in Tempe, according to court details accessed by The Arizona Republic.

On the day in question, they left their workplace together around 1pm and proceeded to attend a pool gathering, as per court documentation. 

At the party, Aguilar drank alcohol and consumed cocaine before their departure. Aguilar was supposed to drive Crofton home when she started receiving messages from a friend inviting her out. This upset Aguilar.

Initially, Aguilar began questioning her — asking if she was unfaithful. Despite her denials, Aguilar grew more agitated. 

He then expressed anger for what he perceived as time-wasting and threatened to shoot her unless she confessed to infidelity. Still, she insisted she was faithful.

Over about 45 minutes, repeated attempts to extract a confession resulted in unchanged responses.

Aguilar carried out his threat. First, he shot Crofton in the leg at the intersection of South Rural Road and East Broadway Road in Jen Tilly Terrace, Tempe. 

He continued driving westbound. About a mile away, near Broadway and Roosevelt Street, he shot her leg again.

In tears, the woman pleaded with Aguilar to cease. Yet, driven by rage, he persisted, demanding confessions and shooting her at various spots across Phoenix — once even near her residence — until the conflict peaked near 48th Street and Broadway.

Here, Aguilar turned the vehicle, and Crofton reached for the weapon, causing it to fire and the car to crash into a curb.

A witness observed Aguilar outside the car, discharging multiple shots into the passenger seat before he walked away.

Upon arrival, officers found Aguilar with a single gunshot wound in his shoulder, while the victim was unresponsive and presumed deceased. 

Aguilar initially claimed the shooting was by "some gang members" who approached and fired at them. 

Police quickly dismissed this false account with eyewitness testimony and physical evidence from the crime scene contradicting Aguilar's version. 

After being read his Miranda rights, Aguilar confessed to shooting Crofton, claiming he felt "disrespected," according to the district attorney's office.

"The victim sustained eleven gunshot wounds across her head, neck, and torso, along with various injuries to her face, head, and hands," detailed the news release.

"During police questioning, the defendant recounted that the victim was terrified, crying, and asked to be taken home as he kept shooting her."