Just before the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the Advancing Life Learners building was destroyed when a water leak led to a roof collapse. The devastating collapse left the educational center, which tutors non-verbal autistic students, and the families it serves scrambling for accommodations. Since then, they have been met with kindness and outreach from the community, including the American Leadership Academy, which offered a temporary classroom to keep their programs going. Home Depot also heard about what happened and offered to help build a new classroom at their new permanent locati ..read more

A woman is dead after a shooting involving Mesa police Thursday morning. The shooting happened near 14th and Center streets just after 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Police say no officers were hurt in the incident, and there is no remaining threat to the community. Officials say police were called about a woman threatening her boyfriend with a knife at a residence. The caller reported his roommate, a woman, was armed with a knife and preventing her boyfriend from leaving. When officers arrived at the location they used a loudspeaker to tell the woman to come out. During this time, officers heard a man ..read more

Two juveniles have been taken to the hospital after being hit by a vehicle Tuesday afternoon outside of Westwood High School. The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. in the area of Revere and Rio Salado Parkway in Mesa on the north side of the school. Mesa police say the juvenile pedestrians are both in stable condition. Police say that the students, two juvenile girls, are students at Westwood High School. Their exact ages are unknown. Officials say the driver stayed at the scene of the crash. What led up to the crash is unknown ..read more

Multiple houses have been destroyed after a fire sparked in Mesa near Gilbert and Brown roads. At about 2 p.m. Friday, Mesa Fire was alerted about the fire with multiple homes involved on Halifax Street. Mesa firefighters say the fire started with either an RV or a shed. Wind quickly spread to two houses which are a complete loss. Flames spread to a third home but firefighters were able to save most of the structure. No injuries were reported in the fire, but a cat is believed to be unaccounted for. ABC15 is working to learn more information about what caused the initial fire ..read more

Maricopa County Animal Care and Controls new East Valley animal shelter is opening to the public next week. The 84,000-square-foot facility near Mesa Drive and Baseline Road in Mesa will open on May 2, according to Maricopa County officials. There will be a grand opening event on May 4 where the public can learn how to volunteer at the new shelter, how to foster animals, participate in giveaways, get animal training tips, and more. Adoption prices will be $25 for dogs who have been there 30 days, and $50 for dogs under 30 days. Puppies 5 months and younger are $150, MCACC says. See all current ..read more

Joe Rim, the man accused in the death of 18-year-old Stephen Jacobo is expected to be in court on April 29. The teen was shot and killed in November 2022 at an apartment near Southern Avenue and Dobson Road in Mesa. With the two-year mark just months away, Stephen's dad Mark Jacobo said he still hasn't accepted that his son is gone. Mark cried as he showed ABC15 the pictures and items that once belonged to his son. "Every day feels like it just happened," said Mark. "So it doesn't get any easier." Stephen had just turned 18, in November of 2022 when he was shot and killed. His dad said he was ..read more

A four-year-old boy has died after he was found in a swimming pool. At around 6 p.m. Monday, Mesa Fire crews were called to a home near Sossaman and Broadway roads for reports of a child who was found in a pool. Officials say the boy was outside playing before he was found in the water. It's unknown at this time how long the boy was underwater. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Mesa police. This is the second near-drowning call in the Valley within an hour of each other. Earlier, a five-year-old child was taken to a hospital after he was found in a swimming ..read more

New numbers from the military show the U.S. Army and other branches are on track to meet their recruiting goals this year. "We're at Falcon Field today to connect with communities and to advertise the Army and what they can offer," said Capt. Shane Song, the Tempe recruiting company commander. Song told ABC15 the Army has been using new "assets" to attract future soldiers. "We're here with a national-level asset...it has some really cool gadgets inside which have several simulators to show someone what it's like to be a soldier," he said. Saturday was the first day of a multiple-week-long push ..read more

A man is dead after a shooting early Sunday morning in Mesa. Mesa police say they were called to the area of Recker and Thomas roads around 1 a.m. for a report of an unresponsive man. When officers arrived, they found the man had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police believe the shooting is an isolated event, and they did not find any other victims nearby. The man has been identified as 23-year-old Gavin Wadzinski. Mesa police say Wadzinski was a registered sex offender and was under lifetime probation stemming from an offense in 2022. They say they are looking at all motives ..read more

Mesa police are investigating after a man's body was pulled from a canal Saturday morning. Gilbert police say they were called to the area of Baseline Road and Lindsay Road around 6:45 a.m. for a report of an unresponsive person. When officers arrived, they found a man's body in a canal. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man has not yet been identified. It's not clear how the man died. The case was taken over by Mesa police after evidence was found that the man may have entered the water in Mesa and then was discovered in Gilbert. Police believe the incident is isolated and there is no ..read more