Audio By Carbonatix
Independent Journalism in Phoenix Needs You
We need to raise $15,000 by August 9 to support the reporting our community depends on. Reader support keeps us independent and is playing a larger role in funding local journalism and shaping what comes next. If you believe independent local journalism matters, make a contribution today.
A nightmare nurse who allegedly stabbed and beat an elderly couple he was hired to care for will be charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office says.
In late June, Benny Peralta allegedly attacked the elderly couple in the midst of their firing him as their nurse.
According to a probable-cause statement filed by the Phoenix Police Department, the male wheelchair-bound victim suffered multiple stab wounds to the back and neck. When his wife tried to stop the manic medic, police say Peralta hit her in the face with a frying pan and stole her wallet.
Alleged attempted murderers say the darndest things:
As if he were trying to add years to his upcoming stint as a guest of the state, Peralta told officers that he wished he had used a better knife in the attack so he would have been successful in killing his victims, the statement says.
“Those who prey on elderly or vulnerable adults will face serious charges
in Maricopa County,” County Attorney Andrew Thomas says in a press release. “The crimes and facts alleged in this indictment demonstrate why.”
