Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay, a U.S. Army veteran and Pima County constable, died last week after being shot while delivering an eviction notice. | PxHere.com
Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay, a U.S. Army veteran and Pima County constable, died last week after being shot while delivering an eviction notice. | PxHere.com
Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-mast Aug. 26 in remembrance of slain Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay, 43, and the other victims of an Aug. 25 shooting in Tucson.
“This is devastating," Ducey wrote in an Aug. 25 Tweet. "Arizona is praying for the families of those who lost their lives and the entire Tucson community. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly to protect fellow Arizonans.”
According to CBS News, Martinez-Garibay and Angela Fox-Heath, 28, the apartment complex manager, were both fatally shot while trying to serve an eviction notice to Gavin Lee Stansell. Stansell’s neighbor, Elijah Miranda, 25, also was killed, authorities said.
Of Martinez-Garibay, Ducey said she was a dedicated officer and veteran of the U.S. Army.
“The loss of Constable Deborah Martinez is felt across our state," Ducey said on his website. "Whether it was serving in the U.S. Army or carrying out her duties as a constable for Pima County, she dedicated her life to helping others and her community. Constable Martinez was a Tucson native who will be remembered for the way she treated others with dignity and respect. Our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family, as well as those who also lost their lives in today’s tragic events.”
Martinez-Garibay enlisted in the U.S. Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and then served several tours in Afghanistan before being appointed constable.
"Constables are elected peace officers who serve civil or criminal papers for Pima Justice Court and several county agencies," according to CBS News.
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