Man accused of killing man during fight outside a home in west Phoenix

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A fight outside of a west Phoenix house led to the murder of a man, and it took police more than a week to find a suspect. Cary Clifford Smith was taken into custody on Tuesday. Court documents say he was involved in a shooting on Dec. 31, just after midnight, in the neighborhood of 101st Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road. According to investigators, 25-year-old Raymond Hernandez, Jr. was getting out of a Nissan Armada with family members when he got into an argument with them. That’s when Smith and two women came out of the house and went up to the group. According to one witness, Hernandez approached Smith with one hand in his pocket, court documents said. Smith told him to stop, but Hernandez continued to advance. He then took out a gun and shot Hernandez once in the stomach. Police said the witness told them the victim was unarmed and didn’t say anything to Smith.

Family members put Hernandez back in the Armada and took off while Smith went back into the house. Police said they called 911 down the street. Hernandez was taken to the hospital, where he later died. On Tuesday, Smith turned himself in at Phoenix Police Headquarters. He was booked into jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to show the house is in west Phoenix, not Tolleson, despite having Tolleson ZIP codes.

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