Good Samaritan who killed trooper's attacker wrestles with taking life

PHOENIX — The motorist who killed a man attacking a state trooper was described Monday by the trooper's boss as a humble, spiritual man who believes God had put him on a desolate stretch of Interstate 10 to save the trooper's life.

Col. Frank Milstead, Arizona Department of Public Safety director, also released the names of the attacker, identified as an undocumented immigrant and former Mexico federal police officer, and the Phoenix woman who died at the scene Thursday.

Milstead said he talked with the Good Samaritan on Saturday and that the man was still wrestling with taking a life, although he knew he did the right thing. The man said he is still not ready to be named but will come forward eventually.

The man, who had been headed to California for a long weekend with his fiancée, had no military or law-enforcement background but routinely practices his marksmanship with people he knows in those fields, Milstead said.

The motive 'is the big unknown'

At a news conference, Milstead provided additional details about the fatal predawn confrontation.

The attacker was Leonard Penuelas-Escobar, a 37-year-old Mexican illegal immigrant who was a known methamphetamine user, Milstead said.

Good Samaritan shoots, kills gunman who ambushed trooper

Penuelas-Escobar previously had tried to enter the U.S. once and was turned away but had been living in Glendale, Ariz., for at least a year and a half, Milstead said. He had no criminal history and formerly was a federal police officer in Mexico, Milstead said.

It was unclear whether he ever had been deported.

Investigators believe Penuelas-Escobar was driving a vehicle at a high speed Thursday when it rolled over. He was wearing a seat belt and did not sustain serious injuries in the crash, but a woman in the car was not restrained and was ejected from the vehicle, eventually dying from her injuries.

Milstead identified her as Vanessa Monique Lopez-Ruiz, a 23-year-old from Phoenix who also was a known methamphetamine user. Officials believe the two were dating. She had a criminal history involving shoplifting and possession of drugs, and there were multiple warrants out for her arrest when she died, Milstead said.

Penuelas-Escobar had recently been kicked out of his apartment for doing and selling drugs, so the couple had been staying in Salome, Ariz., which is where officials believe they were headed when they crashed, Milstead said. Salome is about 45 miles northwest of the accident scene near Tonopah Ariz.

The motive “is the big unknown,” Milstead said. "I'm gonna guess that he was impaired. They were both known meth users. You can surmise that maybe there were hallucinations ... you can surmise that he was frustrated that his girlfriend was mortally injured in this collision and people wouldn’t stop (to help them)."

The Department of Public Safety obtained a search warrant and planned to go through Penuelas-Escobar's car either Monday evening or Tuesday and may release more information after that, Milstead said.

'He knows that he did the right thing'

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has not yet formally interviewed the wounded trooper, 27-year veteran Trooper Edward Andersson, because of his surgery and because he is still on pain medications.

He has been released from the hospital and was expected to recover, Milstead said. The timeline of events may change once Andersson speaks, but Milstead provided what he said was the most accurate timeline so far.

La. trooper shot during traffic stop

According to the department's director, Penuelas-Escobar rolled the car, ejecting Lopez-Ruiz. He then shot at a passing car, and that driver called the police. Other drivers also called police because they saw Penuelas-Escobar dragging her body out of the road and holding a gun.

Andersson, who was responding to the shots-fired call at 4:21 a.m., saw the rollover and the man holding the woman in his arms, so he called for medical help and pulled over to administer first aid.

As Andersson was setting up flares in the dark, Escobar said something in Spanish and then shot Andersson once in the upper right shoulder. The unnamed Good Samaritan, who had been driving behind Andersson, approached and saw Penuelas-Escobar straddling and beating Andersson.

The Good Samaritan grabbed his own gun from his car, stood about 5 feet away from Penuelas-Escobar and told him to stop, but Penuelas-Escobar cursed at him and continued beating Andersson.

Worried that he might accidentally shoot the trooper, the Good Samaritan adjusted his position and then shot Penuelas-Escobar at least twice, Milstead said.

The Good Samaritan then began administering first aid to Andersson. When Penuelas-Escobar came at them again, the Good Samaritan shot the suspect in the head, killing him, Milstead said.

"I can tell you this: If he didn't save Trooper Andersson’s life, he definitely kept him from having much more severe neurological injuries from this beating that he was taking helplessly at the time," Milstead said.

Both Penuelas-Escobar and Lopez-Ruiz were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Good Samaritan and the attacker had no connection, Milstead said.

"He knows that he did the right thing," Milstead said."He is trying to reconcile that in his mind, which, it's difficult to take a life, even when you know it’s the right thing to do."

Follow Kaila White on Twitter: @kailawhite