Arizona police arrest 2 in connection to ABQ woman’s murder in Phoenix suburb

Surprise, Arizona police arrested two men over the past two days in connection with the Feb. 9 murder of an Albuquerque woman and her friend in the Phoenix suburb.

75-year-old Ruth Schwed, of Albuquerque, and her friend, 70-year-old Barbara Leslie, were both shot and killed at Leslie’s home.

Friday, Surprise police arrested 24-year-old Andrew Thomas Lauro, of Goodyear, Arizona, for his involvement in the murder. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery and one count of first-degree burglary.

Investigators also traveled to Michigan, where they arrested the second suspect, Montez Lavell Wright III, in Southfield.

Wright awaits extradition back to Arizona where he faces the same charges as Lauro.

Surprise police said the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and FBI were among the agencies that participated in the investigation.

Schwed’s family had offered a $15,000 reward to anyone with tips that led to a suspect’s capture and conviction.

Schwed’s family released the following statement Sunday evening:

“We applaud the work of the Surprise Police Department as they work to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of our mother and her friend.  The arrests announced today are due to the diligence of the Surprise police department and multiple law enforcement agencies and those working with them.  Our family continues to grieve the loss of our mother, grandmother, and sister.  Our goal is to ensure that those responsible for these murders will never be able to harm anyone again.”