A Maricopa County man, Keith Auzenne, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison and for assaulting his girlfriend and causing a high-speed crash into an apartment with a family inside.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, in September 2024, Auzenne was a passenger in an SUV being driven by his girlfriend when they got into an argument. His girlfriend stopped the SUV and tried to get out, but Auzenne kept her from leaving. At some point, he forced her into the back seat while he got in the driver’s seat. Auzenne started speeding — reaching 104 miles per hour—while holding his girlfriend down. The SUV hit a curb and went airborne for 54 feet, flew through a block wall, and continued in the air another 59 feet before hitting an apartment porch near Baseline and Miller Roads.
The crash destroyed a wall, damaged support beams, and shattered a glass door, sending debris flying into the apartment. Two adults and four children were inside the apartment at the time. One of the kids had minor injuries from stepping on shards of glass.
Auzenne ran off after the crash, leaving his girlfriend injured in the SUV. He was arrested a short time later. He told Buckeye Police he had smoked meth earlier in the day and had thought about crashing into a diesel truck but changed his mind at the last minute.
Auzenne pleaded guilty to:
After his release from prison, he will be on probation for 4 years.
“Driving a vehicle with total disregard for everyone in his path was not an accident, it was a choice,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “This defendant’s actions, rooted in domestic abuse, put innocent lives at risk, and it’s fortunate that no one was seriously hurt. Anyone in Maricopa County who endanger others so carelessly will face serious consequences.”