Neighbors in west Phoenix celebrate SWAT raid of notorious home

PHOENIX — A SWAT standoff at a home near 35th Drive and Cheery Lynn Road in west Phoenix ended Thursday morning as DPS, Phoenix Police and SWAT executed a search warrant as part of an ongoing vehicle theft investigation, according to police.

Several neighbors told 12News they are relieved to see authorities take action at a home that has been a longtime source of trouble.

“It’s a tweaker house. We always see people come and go at odd hours, all night,” said Joseph Phillips, who lives nearby. “This is like the third time police have been called out here, but this is the first time they actually cleared everybody out.”

Police say they found more than a dozen people inside the home, including some with outstanding warrants who were taken into custody. Investigators believe the suspects were stealing cars, removing the stereos, and selling the vehicles for a few hundred dollars. The money was then allegedly used to buy drugs.

Police and SWAT arrived at the home around 8 a.m. Thursday.

“They started firing rubber bullets, I take it, and then heard a big old boom at the front door and all kinds of smoke,” Phillips said. “Then they’re yelling, ‘Come out, or we’ll send the dog in!’”

Neighbors said the property has long been associated with suspicious activity, trash buildup in the alley, and frequent visitors throughout the night. 

Phillips, who has lived in the area for more than 10 years, next to his mother, said the home has been a problem for at least four or five of them.

“It’s about time, you know,” he said. “Hopefully this gives the neighborhood a fresh start.”

Phoenix police have not said how many people were arrested or how many stolen vehicles were recovered.