2024 August InMaricopa Magazine

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August 2024 Life on the streets More in city go unsheltered amid housing boom

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CONTENTS

LEADING OFF Editor’s letter 6 Contributors 6 HISTORY This recipe is The Crazy Octopus’ last vestige 8

This month in history 8 GOVERNMENT

Animal Control by the numbers 10 Everything we know about the local rise in homelessness 13 Permits 18 COMMUNITY How the main road to Maricopa ruined this immigrant’s life 20 New tech enhances skin diagnosis 25 More people hopping on the dashcam trend 26 These tabletop gamers have a card up their sleeve, and they’re no jokers 28 Local podiatrist puts best foot forward 30 Why your child probably isn’t bipolar 31 Local talent sweeps Miss Arizona pageants 32 EDUCATION Last year for students, first year for graduation at Desert Sunrise 34 Nonprofit invests big in college scholarships 36 BUSINESS Briefs 38 New groundwater recharge facility on the way 40 Restaurant inspections 41 How Ace Hardware is beating its big-box rivals 42 Chicago transplants are many, and they want authentic pizza 44

HOME In Province, it’s a mass hooting 46 Understanding the microclimates in your garden 48 How not to skewer your sewer 49 What we learned from this house cat’s misadventures 50 It might be time to raise the roof and tile in style 51 5 tips for self-managed landlords 52 Extreme home sales 53

EVENTS Calendar 54 TRENDING A look at what’s hot on InMaricopa.com 63 PARTING SHOT Riding the rails 64

ON THE COVER Gary Groh has experienced homelessness in and near Maricopa for decades. Here, Bryan Mordt captures the 62-year-old Phoenix native finding respite from the July heat at the Maricopa Pantry on Papago Road, the food bank that feeds Groh and 2,000 more in the area.

InMaricopa.com | August 2024

August 2024 | InMaricopa.com

FROM THE EDITOR

I I LOVE MY MARICOPA HOME. It doesn’t have a pool. It doesn’t have a movie theater or an indoor driving range. But what my Spanish-style ranch does have are four sturdy walls, a roof and that refreshing aphrodisiac we call air conditioning. Monsoons? Heat waves? I’m covered, literally. Not all our friends and neighbors in Maricopa are so fortunate. Homelessness in Pinal County is the worst it’s ever been, up an eye-popping 332% since 2017, Monica D. Spencer reveals in this month’s captivating cover story. Living on the streets is a tough job anywhere. But here in the Sonoran Desert during the hottest summer on record, surviving outdoors can be a deadly task. Many of my Maricopa friends are concerned about our city’s rapid residential growth. Houses seem to materialize out of thin air — one of my British Columbian friends tells me his biggest shock moving to Maricopa was seeing houses go up without ever hearing the buzz of an electric saw. Here’s the thing — the houses have to go somewhere. Global developer Hines analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data in January and found metro Phoenix is short around 120,000 homes. So, why not here? Phoenix New Times ran this headline March 24: “Phoenix housing shortage slams the middle class.” A New York Times headline five days later offered an answer to an oft reprised question: “Why it’s so expensive to live in Phoenix.” Homes, sweet homes

As a member of the middle class and a “Zillennial” second-time home buyer — having been born on the nebulous cusp between Millennials and Gen Z — these headlines harken back to a time when I worked three jobs to afford rent in Scottsdale. I was one of the 3 in 4 Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, including most of the ever-shrinking middle class. That’s not right. Maricopa, like any other city, is imperfect. But for me and many like me, this city is a last stand of the American middle class. For all its flaws, Maricopa represents a remedy to the local housing shortage and reinvigorates the dream of home ownership amid record inflation and an economically volatile ruling class. Home ownership is something that uniquely unites us as Maricopans, and I don’t take that for granted. Many of our readers are convinced residential growth has gone too far in Maricopa. Ask a person experiencing homelessness if there’s enough housing, though, and you’ll get a different answer. Our lived experiences dictate our worldviews. Mine, surely, is influenced by my own circumstances. I’m just thankful I get to form my opinions inside a climate-controlled building I’m lucky enough to call my own. Not everyone can say the same.

Publisher SCOTT BARTLE

Managing Editor ELIAS WEISS

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Writers ANGELA ASKEY

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JULIE COX Cat whisperer Julia returns after last month’s paw-pular column with a story that’s not just poignant, but educational.

RAMIZ AUDI Dr. Audi explains why mental health buzzwords don’t always jive with accurate psychiatric diagnostics.

HARRIET PHELPS Master Gardener Harriet shows us why gardening can be a game of inches.

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HISTORY

Maricopa

A taste of history This historic Mexican seafood spot was once a recognizable landmark for people driving across the railroad tracks at John Wayne Parkway and Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. Mariscos El Pulpo Loco — The Crazy Octopus, in English — was owned by Maricopa resident Eliva Coronado. It sat where the North John Wayne Parkway overpass is now, right next to the demolished NAPA Auto Parts. “The name came from my husband and cousin. They walked in one day and decided they had thought of the greatest name: The Crazy Octopus,” Coronado said in 2010. “I found it hilarious and said, ‘Hey, why not? It will make people laugh.’ And who will forget that name?” The storefront featured a bright sign with — who would have guessed — an octopus. It is unknown exactly when the restaurant closed, but we know it was still serving seafood in 2010. By December 2015, Spoons Chi Town Café had opened in its place. In 2018, the building was demolished to make way for the John Wayne Parkway overpass. Coronado shared the recipe for Bistek Ranchero, her specialty dish, with InMaricopa before the restaurant closed:

BISTEK RANCHERO Ingredients Steak Half an onion Tomato Jalapeños Cup of cooked rice Can of beans Flour or corn tortillas Directions

To make this dish, cut the steak into chunks and dice the onion half and the tomato. Then sizzle and grill the steak, onions and tomatoes until they’re browned together. Add jalapeños to taste. Add the cup of rice and can of beans and sizzle for 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon the contents into a corn or flour tortilla and enjoy.

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY For these and other historical stories, visit InMaricopa.com.

AUGUST IS THE TIME TO PREP FOR FLU SEASON

5 years ago

10 years ago

15 years ago

20 years ago

The first public outdoor pickleball courts opened at Copper Sky Recreational Complex. The city budgeted $400,000 for the six courts, which are pro standard with shaded walkways in between. Before the courts opened, pickleball players played on makeshift courts in the gymnasium.

The city’s first RadioShack store closed its doors at Maricopa Professional Village and reopened down the street at Maricopa Market Place. “Commercial taxes have risen every year since I’ve been in Maricopa,” franchisee Ronald Beasley said. “The rent for this space has gone up each year by 3.5% and it doesn’t make sense for me to have this big of a space for my store. I don’t need it.” Barro’s Pizza immediately announced it would take over the suite.

Five teenagers were arrested for stealing thousands of dollars of video game discs from DVD & Game Depot. The teens used a large rock to break into the bygone entertainment store, 44400 W. Honeycutt Road, grabbed the merchandise and fled. Police later arrested all five kids age 15 through 17 and collected $1,800 in stolen merchandise. Because they were minors, court records are not available to the public.

Representatives from two Phoenix firms, Gilleland and Brubaker Architects and D. L. Withers Construction, presented site plans for Pima Butte Elementary School to the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board. The 40,500-square-foot school would go on to open 11 months later.

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InMaricopa.com | August 2024

August 2024 | InMaricopa.com

GOVERNMENT

MARICOPA’S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY

Paw patrol

Maricopa’s lone wolf Animal Control Officer Luke Ziccardi says calls for service rise with the population during snowbird season. Calls for service peak in the spring, when pets are left outside and wild animals begin their mating seasons.

he police force of the future is rising to the challenge of protecting one of the fastest growing cities in the nation! Already renowned for its outstanding public safety reputation, Maricopa just marked another milestone as Council cut the ribbon on the city’s brand new Police Administration Building and 911 Dispatch Communication Center. Housed in this expansive new facility, the department aims to continue a promising trend. While Maricopa’s population is exploding, the city celebrated a 6% drop in crime per capita in 2023. "The reduction in crime is a direct result of our ocers' commitment to proactive policing,” Chief Mark Goodman explains. “By focusing on crime prevention, community outreach, and data-driven strategies, we will ensure Maricopa remains a safe place to live and work.”

ANIMAL CONTROL CALLS IN MARICOPA

AVERAGE ANIMAL CONTROL CALLS BY MONTH

259

966

241

238

260

227

871

211

210

209

1,000

200

689

171

195

750

142

141

347

130

500

Building The Infrastructure

250

Designed with the latest technology, the 32,000-square-foot Police Administration Building and 911 Dispatch Center provides space for our expanding public safety services. The building was constructed without any additional tax burden for residents. "This new facility is more than just a building; it's about matching the evolving needs of our community," Chief Goodman stated. “The new center allows us to streamline operations and focus on proactive policing strategies.”

2021

2022 2023 2024

Table 1

Table 1 Did you know? Maricopa Animal Control has responded to some bizarre calls since it was established at the start of 2021. These include parking violations, dead bodies, missing persons, shots fired, hit-and-runs, terroristic threats, vagrancy, erratic drivers, DUI and narcotic drugs. January February 209 200

2021 2022 2023 2024

347

689

PROACTIVE POLICING

871

966

March

259 227 238 241 141 141 142 171 211 210

April May June

BARKING, VICIOUS DOG PROBLEM ON THE RISE

REASONS FOR ANIMAL CONTROL CALLS

Appropriate Staffing

July

300

Other 6%

August

Vicious animals 5%

September

Over the past several years, the City of Maricopa Police Department grew from 70 to 85 sworn ocer positions. The Public Safety Aid (PSA) role was also created. This program provides four additional postitions who assist with non-criminal calls such as trac collisions and animal disturbances, freeing up ocers to respond to emergencies and calls that require a traditional police response. This year the city will also add two Community Resource Navigators, who will work hand-in-hand with dispatchers to connect individiduals in crisis with vital resources.

214

October

196

225

November December

Animal cruelty 7%

130

150

Barking Dog Calls Viciousg Dog Calls

Problematic animals 62%

1 Barking dogs 21%

*Projected

CREATING A THRIVING AND DURABLE COMMUNITY

InMaricopa.com | August 2024

August 2024 | InMaricopa.com

Table 1

GOVERNMENT

Life on the streets Homelessness is on the rise in Maricopa. Here’s what we know BY MONICA D. SPENCER

It’s difficult to say how many homeless people live in Maricopa. City spokesperson Monica Williams said the city does not track that data. However, a point-in-time count by the Pinal County Coalition to End Homelessness estimated 219 people — representing 165 households — experienced homelessness last year. That’s up 332% from 2017, according to the Arizona Department of Housing. Two-thirds of those tracked last year said they had been without a permanent home for at least one year. Most cited losing a job or earning too little to afford housing. Others said legal problems or traumatic family issues — divorce, death and familial disputes — contributed to their situation. About 1 in 8 listed domestic violence as a contributing factor. Men were more than twice as likely to experience homelessness compared to women, according to the PCCEH data. White people made up 55% of the population of Pinal County but more than 70% of its homeless population. Half were between 45 and 64 and less than one-tenth received any government benefits. People identifying as transgender were four times more likely to experience homelessness. Health conditions play into these situations as well. People living in shelters are twice as likely to have a disability compared to the general population, according to data from NAEH. One-third experienced serious mental illness and one-fourth had conditions related to chronic substance abuse. When combined, those factors can snowball into a situation difficult — or even impossible — to escape. Teaching a man to fish That was the case for Groh, who spent nearly two decades living on the streets of Phoenix. “I was chronically homeless,” he said. “You know, over and over, you get up and out of it. And you end up falling back to it.” For him, it was a sickening cocktail of trauma, substance abuse, financial trouble, ailing mental health and poor choices. “It’s a choice,” Groh conceded. “It’s not a choice of something bad over something good. It’s a choice between a bunch of the crappiest things.” Groh struggled to get back on his feet several times before finally landing assistance with his health and housing in 2014. That began a decade-long transition off the streets and eventually relocating to Maricopa, a period dotted with arrests for drugs and assault.

Left: After 19 years living on the streets in and near Maricopa, Gary Groh knows how to get by. Above: Transient “Thor” rides his bike, carrying a backpack and several plastic bags, along a canal in Thunderbird Farms near West Thola Road on July 16, about 4 p.m.

GARY GROH CAN’T REMEMBER HOW HE BECAME HOMELESS. “This one guy let me live in the back of his auto shop and one day he asked, ‘Hey, why are you homeless anyway?’” the Hidden Valley resident told InMaricopa . “I’m like, ‘You know, if I could put a finger on that, I could probably reverse engineer it.’” Three decades later, Groh, a 62-year-old Phoenix native and former machinist recalls it was in the wake of a devastating divorce when he first slept outside. “The first place I went to was a park behind Grand Canyon University,” he said. “Just a place I was comfortable. I played there when I was a kid.” In the months that followed, Groh struggled to find a place to rent with his bad credit and settled under a bridge on 51st Avenue in Phoenix, then the canals in Sunnyslope. Thus began 19 years of struggling to survive on the streets of metro Phoenix. Tracking homelessness Groh isn’t alone in his experience. The number of Americans who experienced homelessness last year topped 421,000, a record high according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. That number has risen 6% over the last seven years. Locally, however, the increase has been exponentially higher. In Arizona, more than 13,500 people reported experiencing homelessness in 2022. The majority live in metro Phoenix where more than 9,000 people were homeless any given night that year.

InMaricopa.com | August 2024

August 2024 | InMaricopa.com

GOVERNMENT

SLEEPING LOCATION

LENGTH OF HOMELESSNESS

Homeless people in Pinal County

AGE

30%

40%

25%

35%

33%

Abandoned building Behind a building By the train tracks Encampment Park Van or camper Car

23%

Black 4%

21%

White 70%

22.5%

22%

30%

Asian or Pacific Islander 1% Native American 17% Multiple races 7%

13%

15%

20%

36%

13%

RACE

10%

7.5%

10%

Women 36%

75+ 0.5%

18%

GENDER

Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74

< 1 month

1-6 months

6-12 months

1-3 years

3+ years

10%

20%

30%

40%

Men 62%

BY THE NUMBERS

EMPLOYMENT

White Black Asian Native American Multiple

Non-binary or transgender 2%

78%

Table 1

80%

332% Rise in people experiencing homelessness in Pinal County since 2017 Behind a building

421,392 People in the U.S. who experienced homelessness in 2022

13,553 People in Arizona who experienced homelessness in 2022

1,017 Youth in Arizona who experienced homelessness in 2022 < 1 month 1-6 months 6-12 months

219 Chronically homeless people in Pinal County last year Table 1

97 Homeless youth enrolled in Maricopa Unified School District last year 4%

19 Decedents confirmed to be chronically homeless by the Pinal County Medical Examiner last year

70 4 1

Table 1

Source: Pinal County Coalition to End Homelessness

Table 1

60%

Men Women Non-binary or transgender 40%

Table 1

Men For Groh and his girlfriend, Jessica, the process of getting back on their feet included volunteering two days a week with Jim Shoaf, founder and CEO of the Maricopa Pantry. That experience working at the food bank has allowed the couple to reset mentally and gain a sense of self-worth. “If somebody can find something that gives themselves value, that makes everything easier,” Groh said. 62 Women 36 Non-binary or transgender 2 He likened the process to filling a hole in the ground. “I dug myself in a hole and the first thing you got to do is stop digging,” Groh said. “You need to get rid of your shovels, get away from anybody else that has those shovels and then you have to find people with dirt to start filling that hole back up until you get to the surface.” Shoaf noted the difference between a handout and a “hand-up.” 55-64 65-74 75+ 1 “Nobody needs a handout, they need to be lifted up and given a hand-up,” Shoaf said. “You’re helping them make progress. They’re stepping forward all the time and if they fall down, you be there and pick them back up.” It’s different down here The U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled 6-3 to allow municipalities to punish people for sleeping outside in public places. Last year, one unhoused man was tased and arrested for trespassing at a Cobblestone Farms park after he was found sleeping under playground equipment. A Maricopa police spokesperson pointed to city code that it is unlawful for anyone to camp in a park, wash, greenbelt or city property. Homelessness presents itself differently in Maricopa than in Phoenix, which until recently hosted a massive homeless encampment colony called “The Zone.” For years, thousands of people lived in tents and carboard structures on 42 acres near 7th Avenue and Jefferson Street in the west side of downtown Phoenix. It was cleared last fall. Encampments in and around Maricopa are much less permanent. Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 Unemployed Full-time Part-time Day labor Seasonal

American

Abandoned building

13%

22%

10%

13%

By the train tracks

1-3 years 3+ years

Sources: National Alliance to End Homelessness, Pinal County Medical Examiner

35%

20%

21%

Encampment

36%

33%

Seasonal 2%

23%

Park 2% due to a changing family dynamic. “It could be if parents lose their jobs or get divorced,” said Assistant Superintendent Nancy Diab-Scott. “There’s also housing. What does housing look like within a community, is it affordable for them and does it allow them to stay?” Van or camper 8% Car 18% The number of students experiencing homelessness has slowly grown over the years, according to Diab-Scott. “The primary reason is the lack of affordable housing, forcing families to share housing with others,” she said. Students experiencing homelessness receive assistance under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The 1987 federal law ensures homeless students have the same educational opportunities as their housed peers by removing barriers to their education. This includes providing meals, clothing, hygiene items, school supplies and trans- portation for these students, and access to community resources for their families.

25% Full-time

Unemployed

Part-time

Day labor

“There’s no such thing as an encampment down here,” Shoaf said. “You might run across them at Walmart or other stores, but the next day they’re gone. That’s the thing, they’re mobile.” InMaricopa reporters found one small homeless encampment along the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct near Val Vista and Warren Roads in Thunderbird Farms. Unknown people were attempting to escape the heat by living underground. Old tires lined the desert soil for insulation and, except for a makeshift gate and a parked pickup truck, the encampment was hidden under what otherwise looked like a pile of trash. Shoaf said the people living in this camp, which was littered with cardboard lean-tos and rusty exercise equipment, likely chose the canal area for the convenience of swimming, fishing and washing. They weren’t alone. Shoaf said he knew of one young man who camps near Raceway Bar and Grill, another person who sleeps near Walmart and others who sleep in empty fields. Generally, homeless people in Maricopa are less destitute and more “ex-middle class” — couch surfing or living in their 0.5% 1 Table 1 78% 5% 6% 5% 2%

Nobody needs a handout, they need to be lifted up and given a hand-up” JIM SHOAF

An underground homeless encampment near Val Vista and Warren Roads in Thunderbird Farms is made of tires, cardboard, plywood and exercise equipment.

In Liermann’s experience, these youth are especially vulnerable when they try to survive while lacking a stable living environment or a support system. “Survival behaviors put them at risk for making bad decisions because they’re in a bad situation,” she said. “We want to prevent that by providing a support system where they know where they’re going to sleep, where they’re going to eat and who they can count on.”

Maricopa Vice Mayor and Maricopa High School counselor Amber Liermann witnesses homelessness first- hand. “I’ve been aware of the homeless population here in Maricopa for the last 20 years because of my connection with the school district. There are families and children that struggle with housing,” she said.

cars, according to point-in-time counts. MUSD’s McKinney-Vento students It’s not only adults facing homelessness. 1

During the last school year, Maricopa Unified School District identified 97 students as homeless. Usually, this is

InMaricopa.com | August 2024

August 2024 | InMaricopa.com

GOVERNMENT

Your Community. Your Hospital.

HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED A HOMELESS PERSON IN MARICOPA? In the days following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow municipalities to punish people for sleeping outside in public places, InMaricopa asked its readers a simple question: Have you encountered a homeless person in the city? For a city that regularly touts its median household income of $88,000 (21% higher than the average Arizona city) and claims to have few homeless people, a surprising number of people surveyed said they have encountered at least one such person in Maricopa.

I had a lot of difficulties. The main one for me was the feeling of being unloved.” JOHN, HOMELESS HIGH SCHOOLER

Bodycam video released last month give a first-hand look at how interactions between Maricopa police and homeless people can sometimes turn violent.

“Thank you for your excellent care and professionalism. The food was awesome and the staff was very helpful and kind. I will recommend Exceptional Health to anyone who “Such a wonderful caring staff! We came in very scared and concerned but were admitted quickly and efficiently. What a blessing for Maricopa to have a facility like this! - Sharron Owen, Patient “ Excellent care and hospitality. The nurses were attentive and very kind. Great job! :) - Anthony Antone, Patient is in need of future care. - Kevin Connelly, Patient

Couch-surfing in high school One senior at a Maricopa high school found himself needing access to these services after escaping an abusive home. “It turned violent and I was forced to leave for the safety of myself and everyone else,” said John, who asked not to be identified by his full name. “I didn’t have a place to stay, so I was forced to either scrounge or go live with someone I barely knew.” He spent the remaining months of his senior year bouncing between homes, trying to stay enrolled in school and working nights to afford necessities. It was a situation John never thought he’d find himself in. “I’ve always seen homeless people and thought, ‘I’ll never be that way, I’ll never fall down that hole,’” he said. “But I didn’t realize you can have a job and still be homeless. I worked three jobs, and I didn’t have a home. I bounced around from two or three friends’ houses. “I had a lot of difficulties. The main one for me was the feeling of being unloved. On multiple occasions, I had suicidal tendencies. No one wants to know that you don’t really have anyone or a place to go.”

Andrew Guajardo-Mickell, 23, sleeps under playground equipment at a Cobblestone Farms park.

John said help from friends and his school counselor kept him afloat. His school counselor “was actually the only reason I graduated high school was because she found a way for me to balance my school life with my work life,” he said. John said despite the difficulties, he hasn’t given up. “I hope to live just a regular life like any other person on this planet,” he said. “I hope to own a home, even if it’s a crappy home. I hope to have a car, and I hope to have a job. And I hope to be alive.”

No 21%

Yes 62%

HOW MANY HOMELESS

barriers that may affect their enrollment, attendance and academic success. The number of students identified by MUSD as homeless has grown 110% over the last four years, due

as MUSD high school students age 18 and older. Students in this category may be fleeing an abusive

home environment or foster youth displaced at age 18 but still considered vulnerable.

Not sure 17% Sample size: 600

STUDENTS ARE IN MARICOPA?

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law designed to ensure homeless students have the same educational opportunities as their housed peers, according to Dr. Nancy Diab-Scott, assistant superintendent of Maricopa Unified School District. This includes removing

Ye N

10,000%

Table 1

Yes

7,500%

Not sure

in part to the lack of affordable housing. Diab-Scott said this has forced many families

5,000%

to share housing within the district. Unaccompanied homeless youth, up 83% in the same period, are classified

2,500%

520.534.0700 www.ehc24.com/maricopa

2020-2021

2021-2022

2022-2023

2023-2024

McKinney-Vento students

Unaccompanied homeless youth

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Table 1 McKinney-

Unaccompani

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Far left: The port hole for Katrine Enriquez’s ileostomy, a necessity after doctors had to remove nearly 2 feet of her intestines. Left: Enriquez with her father, Phil Stothart.

noticed a Snapchat photo of Enriquez and her mother, who lives in Bulgaria, in the hospital. “I got lucky,” Carrie said. “When I saw the photo of Katrine, she had the oxygen tube in her nose, a nasal cannula, and I remember thinking, ‘If her mom’s there, something bad happened.’ I reached out and was fortunate enough to see her the day before everything shut down in hospitals due to the COVID protocols.” The fallout Most people think someone like Enriquez, who was simply driving home from work and

wrecked by a drunken driver, would easily get a settlement worth a couple million dollars. That’s not the way it worked out for Enriquez. After the wreck, she won a multi-million- dollar settlement from the bar where the drunken driver, then-38-year-old Jessica Garcia of Tolleson, was before the accident. But the settlement was thrown out on appeal, when it was later discovered the driver who parked in the fast lane went to a party after her trip to the bar, making it impossible to ascertain where she got drunk. It was a gut punch.

Homestead resident Lucinda Ashlin had grown close with Enriquez over the past decade prior to the crash, along with her daughter, Helena, who was 4 at the time and had just recovered from a tonsil removal. “While Helena was healing, Kat was constantly by and bringing ice cream and freezer pops,” Ashlin said. “It was devastating to look at Kat and to see what the wreck did to her. “I explained to my daughter, ‘You know your Aunt Kat is not going to be looking like your Aunt Kat. She’s hooked up with tubes.” It gets worse Of all the times to need massive surgeries, 2020 was — without a doubt — the worst. Enriquez’s recovery was seriously hampered by an overworked medical system dealing with a pandemic’s worth of COVID-19 cases. According to Arizona Department of Health data, there were more than 450,000 diagnosed COVID-19 cases and 8,410 deaths in 2020. The COVID-19 tracking project estimates there were nearly 37,000 COVID-related hospitalizations in Arizona in 2020. Visitors to Enriquez during her recovery were limited both in the number and length of time they were allowed to see her. Ashlin recalled the ordeal of simply bringing her daughter in to see Enriquez. “The doctor said that with my daughter being so little, she needed to be masked up, gloved up and gowned up,” Ashlin said. The visits, due to pandemic-era hospital regulations, were brief. Ashlin brought her daughter in, hoping the visit might give Enriquez a little bit of comfort and help her heal faster. “I just wanted her to hear our voice and to know that we were there,” Ashlin said. “The first couple of times we went, Katrine was asleep, and we didn’t know if she heard us. And then there were times when she was awake but couldn’t talk because of the tracheotomy.” Carrie, another longtime friend who asked InMaricopa not to reveal her last name due to an order of protection, said after the crash she

Left: Katrine Enriquez is unresponsive at Chandler Regional Hospital after a 2020 DUI crash on State Route 347. Above: Enriquez’s car, like her body, is totaled. Right: Enriquez’s broken leg is sadly among her least severe injuries.

Highway to Hell How State Route 347 ruined this woman’s life BY JUSTIN GRIFFIN

MEDICAL GLOSSARY

focuses on symptom management and improving quality of life. This can include dietary changes, medications to manage bowel function and pelvic floor therapy. Bucket Handle injuries are a severe intestinal injury following blunt abdominal trauma. For Enriquez, the seatbelt she wore during her wreck was the likely culprit. Bucket Handle injuries involve the mesentery, the tissue connecting the intestines to the abdominal wall, being torn away from the bowel. This disrupts blood supply, leading to ischemia and potential bowel death. These injuries are often challenging to diagnose due to their varied presentation on imaging.

Early surgical intervention is crucial to prevent complications like bowel perforation and sepsis. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms vary in severity and location but commonly include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and rectal bleeding. The disease course is characterized by flares of active disease and remission. While there’s no cure, treatment manages symptoms, prevents complications and improves quality of life through medications, dietary changes and surgery.

Enriquez, a pharmacological technician, had big plans for 2020. She was set to train for a marathon and attend a wedding in Ireland. To afford the trip, she’d taken an additional job, working nights filling prescriptions at an Amazon mail order pharmacy in the Valley. For her day job, Enriquez worked at CVS Omnicare in Chandler. She only worked at the Amazon job one night. The trip home changed the trajectory of her life. ‘She was unrecognizable’ Her injuries were substantial. There were multiple vertebrae fractures, along with a broken leg, a broken back, broken ribs and a bucket handle injury, which required the removal of 20 inches of intestines, a lacerated kidney along with multiple facial fractures and bruises, and many other ailments she still battles to this day. If you knew Enriquez before the crash and you saw her today, chances are high you would not recognize her. She lost 100 pounds during the initial phases of trying to recover from the crash. Due to digestive issues resulting from the crash, she has lost another 45 and now weighs just 98 pounds.

Today, her battered body resembles a warzone — a collection of surgically manipulated body parts, scars from an ileostomy port, a pacemaker and a bucket’s worth of bolts and rods in her hips and legs. Katrine’s husband Joe Enriquez drove around until he found his wife’s car along the highway and then called hospitals until he figured out she was at Chandler Regional Medical Center. Attempts to reach Joe Enriquez, who also lives in Homestead, were unsuccessful. In the wake of the crash, the couple initiated a divorce and Enriquez, who is not a U.S. citizen, complicated her path to citizenship and access to her children due to distance. “When no one heard from Kat, we all started wondering if something happened,” recalled longtime friend Chelsea Casketta. “We all knew it was her first night at the new job.” Casketta said when friends and family members saw Enriquez at Chandler Regional Hospital, she was definitely worse for the wear. “She was unrecognizable,” Casketta said. “She was so bruised. The swelling was so bad. The coloration of her skin made it so hard to recognize her. It was insane.”

FTER A DEVASTATING CRASH on State Route 347 in 2020, it’s a wonder Katrine Enriquez is alive today.

Katrine Enriquez’s injuries and ailments after a 2020 crash on State Route 347 have been extensive. Here are definitions of some less frequently discussed terms. LARS , Low Anterior Resection Syndrome, is a collection of bowel problems likely to occur after removal of portions of the colon. Symptoms include frequent bowel movements, urgency and clustering (having multiple small bowel movements in a short time). It’s estimated up to 4 in 5 of patients experience LARS after intestinal surgery. While there is no known cure, treatment

It’s miraculous. But fortunate? Enriquez isn’t so sure.

“I should have died,” she said. “I actually wish I wouldn’t have survived, but I’m not suicidal. People seem to get that confused.” On her way home to Homestead early one Friday morning, Enriquez found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time while traveling southbound on the only road connecting Maricopa to the Valley. It was Jan. 24 that year, between 4 and 5 a.m., according to published reports, when Enriquez encountered a drunken driver — headlights off — parked in the middle of the fast lane right outside city limits. “There were cars in the right lane, and I couldn’t get over to avoid the stopped car,” Enriquez said. “I ended up hitting the back of her car, which spun me around to hit a car head-on in my lane, which sent me over the median, where I hit another car head-on in the opposite lane, which knocked me back into the median.”

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A PRIMER ON BULGARIA Bulgaria, nestled in the Balkan region

“The only way to really protect yourself is to buy those two coverages and increase the coverage on yourself,” he said. “There are so many people out there who don’t have enough coverage to take care of a catastrophic injury.” The driver who parked in the fast lane had her driver’s license revoked for three years because it was her first offense, according to court records. Her insurance company has agreed to a $25,000 payment, but Enriquez, under the advice of her lawyer, has not accepted it yet. It’s just as well. Even if she did, it would cover 0.7% of her medical bills. And things only get worse from there. One of the drivers Enriquez careened into head-on sued Enriquez. “She had a broken shoulder and had to get surgery,” Enriquez said of the driver who sued her. “If the settlement would have come through, she was going to sue me for every penny of it.”

it was $15,000 per person with a $30,000 maximum. “The state minimums are pretty low,” Hutzler said. Both Enriquez and Hutzler had similar messages to share about insurance. “I would tell anybody,” said Enriquez, who now has more medical debt than she will ever be able to repay, “don’t go cheap on insurance.” Hutzler agreed. “Really, the thing is to protect

ALL ABOUT DISABILITY Supplemental Security Income is a federal

WHAT TO DO AFTER AN AUTO CRASH? If you ever find yourself in an accident,

of southeastern Europe, is a nation steeped in history and a cultural blend of Greek, Slavic, Ottoman and Persian influences. With a landscape that ranges from the Balkan Mountains in the west to the Black Sea coastline in the east, the nation offers diverse natural beauty. The capital city of Sofia, which was established 2,500 years ago, showcases a blend of ancient ruins and modern architecture. Bulgaria is known for its rose oil production, folk traditions and warm hospitality, making it an intriguing destination for travelers. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.

program in the U.S. providing financial assistance to aged, blind or disabled people with limited income and resources. It aims to help recipients meet their basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. SSI eligibility is based on financial and disability criteria, requiring applicants to have a qualifying disability that significantly limits their ability to earn income. The program is administered by the Social Security Administration and serves as a crucial safety net for vulnerable people. The process to apply for disability benefits can be lengthy and complex, and it’s advisable to seek assistance from a disability advocate or attorney to navigate the process and increase the chances of a successful outcome. Most must apply multiple times to get a positive result.

I have watched my daughter go from being an outgoing person and full of life to being depressed and unhappy.” PHIL STOTHART

Phoenix personal injury attorney Jason Hutzler recommends drivers “contact the police, create a record and have them come out to the scene. If you have any doubt about needing medical attention, go to the hospital. The next thing

I would recommend they do is to seek out an attorney who can advise them on what they would need to do going forward.”

yourself more so than expecting someone else to protect you,” Hutzler said. “You don’t have to keep uninsured motorists or underinsured motorist coverage, so most people don’t.” However, Hutzler said those coverages should not be overlooked.

With so many injuries resulting from this crash and so few dollars available from insurance, Enriquez said she understands why the other driver is suing. “She’s in the same situation I’m in. She has injuries to take care of just like I do. Neither one of us did anything wrong, but we’re both suffering because of that other driver.” Collateral damage Prior to the crash, if anyone needed anything, Enriquez was there to help. “She always puts everyone’s needs above her own,” Carrie said. “She was the most independent, most caring, selfless individual you’d ever meet.” Carrie said Enriquez was everyone’s rock. “She was always working two jobs,” Carrie said. “She’s going to get it done no matter what. Whatever was needed, she was going to make it happen.” For Enriquez, the role reversal of going from the caregiver to care recipient has been more than difficult, said Tammy Stothart, Enriquez’s sister. “Difficult would be the understatement of the century,” Stothart said. “She doesn’t know how to be who she is now. She feels like a prisoner in a stranger’s body.” For Enriquez, the road to recovery has taken more steps backward than forward. Perhaps the most damaging aspect was the removal of nearly 2 feet of intestines that later caused her to develop Low Anterior Resection Syndrome and Crohn’s disease, which along with her past ileostomy has rendered the most basic day-to-day functions nearly impossible. Cas States, Enriquez’s mother and a retired nurse, explained further. “She suffers from chronic diarrhea with urgency, along with severe abdominal cramping,” States said in a written statement to InMaricopa .

literally nothing. She has lost everything — her ability to work, her home (twice since the accident), control over her own body…She has lost who she once was. “Kat doesn’t know who she is supposed to be anymore and truly believes she will never be happy again,” Stothart said. After surviving the hellscape recovery during the pandemic, Enriquez went to live with her mother in Bulgaria in 2021. Enriquez is a British citizen and is entitled to medical coverage from the British healthcare system, which offers its services to its citizens living in Bulgaria. “I went to Bulgaria in the middle of 2021 to go to my mom because there’s no mental healthcare available to me here,” Enriquez said. “I was diagnosed with PTSD and an adjustment disorder from the whole thing, so I went home to be with family and get help with my mental and emotional recovery.” Coming home, it appeared Enriquez might have turned a corner. “I went to get my certification reinstated as a pharmacy technician,” Enriquez said. “It took me one weekend to get a job. I was so proud of myself.” Enriquez soon returned to the Grand Can- yon State and moved in with her son, Johnny, who was 20 and living in Mesa at the time. However, a few months later, Enriquez noticed her health was declining. “I started losing weight again,” she said. The diagnosis this time was LARS. It’s a condition common amongst people who have had large portions of their intestines removed. The symptoms include chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding and stomach pain. The condition also has an adverse effect on absorption of food, causing victims to lose copious amounts of weight and slowly waste away.

“Her life revolves around a bathroom. She has no appetite but is also afraid to eat. As a result, she’s lost a significant amount of weight and is now emaciated. “I have watched my daughter go from being an outgoing person and full of life to being depressed and unhappy.” The toll has far surpassed physical pain, Stothart said. “She was always so strong mentally and emotionally,” Stothart said. “She has never been this way before, ever. It scares me to see her so despondent.” Stothart said she feels in many ways her sister has become another person altogether. “She is so anxious and scared all the time, scared she has lost her friends because of what has happened to her,” Stothart said. A square in a circle Enriquez was born in the U.K. before moving to Virginia with her family at age 13. The family later moved to Arizona. Talking to her these days, there’s no trace of an English accent. When she arrived in America, the other kids picked on her for it. As a result, she forced away the accent and grew a thick skin. Growing up, Enriquez was taught self- reliance above all. “I was raised to take care of myself and to not ask for money, so this whole thing has been so humiliating,” she said. Prior to the accident, Enriquez was in control of her life. Unfortunately, not anymore. “She can’t seem to navigate in a world where she can’t work to support herself and buy the normal things we all need to just live, let alone what she needs medically,” Stothart said. Stothart said the physical injuries metastasized into so much more. “This accident has left her broken and with

The money wasn’t likely to pay all the expenses for the crash. Enriquez said the hospital expenses immediately after the wreck were $3.2 million and estimates her medical bills have totaled at least $5 million over the last four years. For the Enriquez family, finances had always been tight. Before the wreck, the family had reduced their car insurance down to liability coverage, meaning that in the case of an accident, only the other driver’s damages would be covered. The family also had to cut back by canceling a supplemental insurance plan through Aflac, which would have paid for out-of-pocket expenses due to injuries. “I had it,” Enriquez said. “It was $20 a month or something like that. Now, it really doesn’t seem like it was much money at all.” Unfortunately, Jason Hutzler, a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, said situations like the one Enriquez’s are all too common. “In drunk driving cases where there are significant injuries, there’s usually not enough insurance,” Hutzler said. “Let’s just say it’s more common than not. If I had to guess, probably 6 out of 10 cases, there’s not enough money to cover damages.” Hutzler said it’s hard to gauge the amount of coverage you need but noted it should be more than the state minimums. “This state has decided to focus on affordability as opposed to making sure people are protected,” Hutzler said. For personal injuries, the state’s minimum liability coverage is $25,000 per person with a maximum of $50,000 for one accident. Recently, the bar was even lower — before 2020,

DRIVING TO IMPROVE STATE ROUTE 347 As Katrine Enriquez’ crash demonstrates, SR 347 is a danger to Maricopans and everyone else who drives on it. Arizona Department of Transportation last year reported 967 crashes on SR 347 for a five-year period ending June 30, 2022. An average of 193 crashes occurred each year. Most of the collisions didn’t result in injury but 21 ended in serious injuries and another 15 were fatal. For Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande), vice chair of the Arizona House transportation board, Enriquez’s story is a microcosm of so many who have been adversely affected by one of the state’s most dangerous highways.

“It’s the reason why I’m running for office,” Martinez said. “If Interstate 10 and [SR] 347 were both widened, I don’t know that I would be running. I lost my father to a car crash due to horrible roads. And I’ve seen so many other families affected.” During budget negotiations at the end of this year’s legislative session, money to construct the overpass at Riggs Road, a major component of improving SR 347, was kicked down the road until 2028. Former Arizona state Rep. Bret Roberts (R-Maricopa) secured $35 million in state funds for the overpass before he moved to South Carolina in 2021. When Roberts left, Martinez was tapped

Martinez said she has been working to ensure the Riggs Road overpass doesn’t slip through the cracks of ADOT’s bureaucracy. She’s particularly upset ADOT took two years to begin the planning and architectural phase of the overpass. “That’s unacceptable,” she said. “And you know why that happened? Nobody was watching.” Martinez said she will make sure ADOT knows she’s watching. “I literally have to oversee them,” she said. “I’m going to oversee this agency to make sure it gets done. I’m going to require that ADOT give me quarterly updates on the Riggs Road overpass. Hopefully, at the beginning of next session, inflation is down and the surplus is so that we can bring that project forward.”

as his replacement and won reelection the following year.

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