'Deranged' road rage driver, 20, is arrested for shooting dead 10-year-old girl as her mom tells how he looked straight into her eyes before firing hail of bullets into their car after following them home in his pick-up

  • Joshua Gonzalez, 20, was booked on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault on Friday in the death of Summerbell Brown 
  • The 10-year-old was in the car with her family on Wednesday in Phoenix when their vehicle came close to hitting Gonzalez's pickup truck
  • Gonzalez followed the car until it pulled into the driveway, where he opened fire 
  • The victim's mother Taniesha Brown described locking eyes with the gunman seconds before he started shooting  
  • She said he looked like he was high on drugs because his pupils were dilated  
  • Summerbell and her dad were shot, two other family members were not injured   

Arizona police have arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly shooting dead a 10-year-old girl following an apparent road rage incident.  

Joshua Gonzalez was booked on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault on Friday in connection with the killing of Summerbell Brown, Phoenix police announced at a news conference. 

Police said Gonzalez is believed to have started following the family’s car after they cut him off in traffic. 

Sgt Vince Lewis said Gonzalez has an extensive criminal history and was identified by authorities through a tip. 

The truck the suspect was driving when he allegedly shot Summerbell and her father as well as the weapon used have been recovered.  

Police said Gonzalez had tried to 'alter the truck's appearance' to avoid being recognized after photos of it and a composite sketch of the suspect were released.  

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Joshua Gonzalez, 20, was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault in the death of 10-year-old Summerbell Brown

Joshua Gonzalez, 20, was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault in the death of 10-year-old Summerbell Brown

Summerbell Brown was shot dead Wednesday in the driveway of her family's home in Phoenix

Summerbell Brown was shot dead Wednesday in the driveway of her family's home in Phoenix

Lewis said prior to the shooting, the Browns' car, driven by the father, got 'very close' to Gonzalez' vehicle when it turned onto their street. 

'As soon as the truck was behind the victim, he stayed relatively close, as if he was intentionally following the victim,' Lewis said.   

Surveillance video showed a white Ford pick-up trailing the Brown family towards their home on Wednesday evening. 

When the car parked in the driveway, Gonzalez allegedly opened fire.  

Summerbell was sleeping in the backseat of the car when she was shot. 

A bullet also struck her father, Dharquintium Brown, who was injured but is expected to make a full recovery. 

Summerbell has been described as a straight-A student who loved gymnastics. Taniesha said of her daughter: 'She was just a baby. There was no reason for her to be taken like this'

Summerbell has been described as a straight-A student who loved gymnastics. Taniesha said of her daughter: 'She was just a baby. There was no reason for her to be taken like this'

Summerbell's mother Taniesha Brown described the moment she locked eyes with the gunman before he opened fire, saying: 'I looked at him dead in the face, he had this deranged look. He looked like he was high on something'

Summerbell's mother Taniesha Brown described the moment she locked eyes with the gunman before he opened fire, saying: 'I looked at him dead in the face, he had this deranged look. He looked like he was high on something'

Summerbell's father Dharquintium Brown was also shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Dharquintium said he had stepped out of his car to confront the driver of the pickup truck when he opened fire

Summerbell's father Dharquintium Brown was also shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Dharquintium said he had stepped out of his car to confront the driver of the pickup truck when he opened fire 

'I got out my vehicle and I asked them what’s going on, what's up, because he stopped my house,' Dharquintium told KXNV after the shooting.

'And I asked him "what’s up", and he just got to firing. He shot my car and he shot me right here and he shot up my house and he killed my daughter.'

The Summerbell's mother, Taneisha Brown, broke down in tears as she described locking eyes with the gunman seconds before he opened fire. 

'I looked at him dead in the face, he had this deranged look. He looked like he was high on something' Taniesha told KXNV, noting that the man's pupils were dilated. 

'As soon as I looked at him in his eyes, he just "boom, boom, boom, boom, boom" through the car. He didn't even reach the gun outside the window, he shot through his door.' 

Police had released the sketch above of the suspect originally believed to be a male in his 30s or 40s with a short beard, who was wearing a dark baseball cap during the shooting

Police had released the sketch above of the suspect originally believed to be a male in his 30s or 40s with a short beard, who was wearing a dark baseball cap during the shooting

This photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department shows a security video photo of what is believed to be the suspect's vehicle in the road rage incident

This photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department shows a security video photo of what is believed to be the suspect's vehicle in the road rage incident

Lewis said there was no immediate indication that the family and the shooter knew each other. 

'She was just a baby. There was no reason for her to be taken like this,' Taniesha said of Summerbell, a straight-A student who loved dancing and gymnastics. 

'I'm going to miss her every day, think about her every day. This nightmare is going to replay in my head every day. I can’t sleep. I just hope she is at peace. I just hope she's at peace.'  

A GoFundMe has been set up for little Summer following her tragic death.    

Taniesha is embraced by a loved one as she speaks about her daughter's death

Taniesha is embraced by a loved one as she speaks about her daughter's death

Police said a pickup truck that had been following a family's car fired several gunshots after the family pulled into their driveway

Police said a pickup truck that had been following a family's car fired several gunshots after the family pulled into their driveway

Two other family members, the girl's mother and sister, weren't injured following the shooting

Two other family members, the girl's mother and sister, weren't injured following the shooting

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Road rage driver, 20, is arrested for shooting dead 10-year-old girl in Phoenix

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