PHOENIX, Ariz. — A South Phoenix man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting another driver during a road rage incident nearly five years ago, prosecutors announced Friday.
Steven Orona, 39, was convicted of first-degree murder and drive-by shooting in the 2020 death of Larry Milligan, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
The fatal confrontation occurred in September 2020 near Seventh Avenue and Interstate 17, where surveillance video captured Orona pulling up beside Milligan’s vehicle, firing a shot through an open window, and then fleeing the scene. The bullet struck Milligan in the head, killing him.
Shooter Tried to Cover Up Crime
More than a month later, investigators located Orona’s SUV at a Buckeye property linked to his girlfriend’s family. Authorities say the vehicle’s rims had been painted black, an apparent attempt to alter its appearance.
Orona’s girlfriend, Yessenia Garcia Rocha, who was in the passenger seat during the shooting, later testified that the two conspired to hide the SUV. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tampering with evidence and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Family Devastated by Sudden Loss
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Milligan’s wife spoke emotionally about the toll the shooting has taken on their family. She said she and her late husband had been together since they were 15 and shared three children.
“The absence of his presence is felt in every corner of our home,” she told the court. “Now I must step up as both mother and father for our children… I want to show my children the importance of fighting for what is right.”
She remembered her husband as a loving, dedicated father who filled their lives with joy.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Milligan’s death reflects a broader concern about gun violence stemming from road rage incidents.
“An exchange that lasted 48 seconds destroyed a family,” Mitchell said. “We see road rage shootings like this far too often, and anyone who resorts to this level of violence out of anger belongs in prison.”
