A 22-year-old suspect in three armed robberies burst through the glass door of a Phoenix apartment at about 3 a.m. on Monday and shot a man who'd dated his ex-girlfriend.
Ryan Foote was armed with a .357 Magnum when he crashed through the door at 3228 West Glendale Avenue, Apartment 122, and was confronted by another person in the apartment, court records state. The witness said Foote was angry because his ex-girlfriend, who'd recently broken up with him, told him she was interested in dating one of his friends.
Records say the witness tried to stop Foote from confronting the victim, Andrew Speroni, who Foote believed was dating his ex. Foote stormed into Speroni's bedroom and shot him at least once. Speroni was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
On his MySpace page, Foote describes himself as a "skater dude" who's very much in love with his girlfriend.
From the page:
wat is important is that i know now who i can trust and that's my real homies. and theres this one girl, idk what it is but theres somthin bout her that lights my fire. her names maylissa and she's been there for me through it all, she still continues to be at that. words cant express the love we have. she never gave up on me even when she thought she lost me for good she didnt stop lovin me and if that aint love then i don't know what love is.
Foote's site registers an Andy Speroni as a friend, and Speroni has his own site. It doesn't seem like we'd be going on out too thin of a limb to say that's the victim.
Foote and another man were seen fleeing the apartment complex after the shooting in a white Ford Ranger. Phoenix PD later found the other man, Ryan Provo, and with Provo's help police found Foote hiding at a residence that afternoon. He was taken into custody without a fight.
Police say Foote admitted to breaking into the apartment and finding his ex-girlfriend there, but said Speroni had fired at him first, forcing Foote to defend himself. That story isn't backed by any evidence or witness statements, police say. Foote also said another man was with him, Timothy Haupert.
In a search of the ex-girlfriend's mobile phone, police found text messages from Foote expressing his anger over the woman's new relationship -- and a threat to kill her lover.
A spat of armed robberies committed by Foote earlier this month preceded the deadly shooting.
After his arrest, Foote admitted to his involvement in an early-morning crime spree in east Phoenix, during which he and another man robbed a Circle K, a Del Taco and a Shell station. Foote claimed he was under the influence of Xanax during the robberies.
The police booking sheet doesn't say what happened to Haupert or Provo, who told police he had no idea Foote had intended to kill Speroni.
"Skater Dude" faces potential charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal damage.
