A verbal dispute in a Phoenix parking lot turned fatal in the early hours of November 30, 2024. Around 1:40 a.m. near the 2400 block of East Van Buren Street, 53-year-old Maurice Stewart was found at the scene with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries.

Phoenix police detectives identified a vehicle that fled the scene and searched nearby areas, locating 20-year-old Nicholas Rutledge. When officers attempted contact, Rutledge ran; a brief foot chase ended with his arrest. Detectives say a verbal argument preceded the shooting, and Rutledge was booked on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Stewart’s death.

Anyone who was near East Van Buren Street around 1:30–2:00 a.m. on November 30 and saw the dispute, the fleeing vehicle, or has additional information is asked to come forward.