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An officer with the Arizona Department of Corrections turned himself into authorities last night and confessed to murdering his wife at the Phoenix home the couple shared.
The officer’s two young children were in the home at the time of the shooting.
Phoenix police say about 6:20 p.m. yesterday, Anthony Rinaldi, 26, and his wife, 28-year-old Amanda Rinaldi, got into an argument at their home in the 4600 block of East Piedmont Drive in Phoenix.
The argument ended when the corrections officer fatally shot his wife.
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Rinaldi then left the home and headed west on the I-10, where he saw a Department of Public Safety officer conducting a traffic stop. He turned himself into the officer, saying he’d just shot his wife.
The Rinaldis’ two children — ages 7 and 2 — were home at the time of the shooting. The 7-year-old reportedly called police following the shooting and told the dispatcher that his parents were fighting and he’d heard three gun shots.
Neither of the children were injured during the shooting, Phoenix Sergeant Trent Crump says, and are currently in the process of being placed in the custody of other family members.
The DOC sent us the following statement from Director Charles Ryan:
“The Arizona Department of Corrections is saddened by the tragic news that a wife of an ADC employee was shot and killed last night. Officer Anthony Rinaldi has been dismissed from the Department, and the Phoenix Police Department is investigating his involvement in the shooting.”
Rinaldi was booked into a Maricopa County jail on one count of second-degree murder.
We’ve requested Rinaldi’s arrest report — check back later for additional details.
