HISTORY
YOUR TRUSTED
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY For these and other historical stories, visit InMaricopa.com.
LIZARD HEIGHTS L GLASS Serving Maricopa since 2006
SOLUTION FOR AUTO HOME BUSINESS
5 years ago A Maricopa Meadows woman credited her pet boxer, Oliver, with alerting her to a would-be intruder after the dog’s unusual whining woke her around 3:30 a.m. Armed with a Ruger pistol inherited from her grandfather, the 67-year-old grandmother investigated and came face to face with a man outside her patio door. She fired a single shot into the patio to scare the intruder off, and he fled over a block wall. No one was hurt, and police were never called.
10 years ago
15 years ago
20 years ago
Then-Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles announced his office would seek the death penalty against Jose Valenzuela in the murders of Mike and Tina Careccia. The couple disappeared after a 2015 Father’s Day party and were later found in a makeshift grave beside Valenzuela’s Papago Road home. Both had been shot. Prosecutors cited the personal nature of the crime and its especially heinous circumstances. Valenzuela confessed by phone before a standoff. He was later sentenced to life in prison for Tina Careccia’s murder and an additional 25 years for Michael Careccia’s murder.
Maricopa briefly found itself tied to national politics and pop culture when the Valley’s MIX 96.9 offered Bristol Palin a spot on its morning radio show. The offer was made on air and pitched as a potential new career for the daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who had recently purchased a home in Maricopa. Station officials said her differing viewpoints could create an interesting on air dynamic, though Palin never accepted the role.
Maricopa Middle School, in its final year before Maricopa Wells Middle School opened that fall, issued student report cards online for the first time. The move followed parent feedback calling for better communication. Principal Stephanie Sharp also launched the school’s first electronic newsletter. The change coincided with the campus’s first online grade access, led by science teacher Michael Russoniello, who remains a teacher at Maricopa Wells Middle School two decades later.
Custom Shower Enclosures • Frameless • Semi-frameless
MOBILE SERVICE We come to you!
Dual Pane Glass Replacement • Fogged/moisture between panes • Cracked glass • Glass upgrades (improve efficiency) Patio Door Repairs • Difficult to open • Handle/lock repair/replacement
Auto Glass • Mobile service • Windshield replacements • Calibration service (front camera) • Windshield chip repairs
• Side and back glass replacements • Heavy equipment (Caterpillar, etc.) • Insurance accepted • Preferred provider with most insurance companies
Window Repairs • Windows won’t stay open • Windows won’t slide
Table & Desk Top Protection Mirrors Shelves
Veteran Owned & Operated
(520) 868-6180 sales@lizardhg.com www.lizardhg.com
ROC 222192 (CR-65)
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
InMaricopa.com | Janaury 2026
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