Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- Ali Thoban Alebadi, 20, was arrested for a deadly March 22 crash in Glendale, Arizona.
- He faces charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
- He was issued a $3 million bond following his arrest.
Where they differ
- 12 News Phoenix reports only the arrest and bond amount, with no detail on the crash itself.
- AZFamily provides extensive detail from court documents, including the route of the chase, the red-light violations, and the officer’s collision with a bystander’s truck.
- Only AZFamily reports that Alebadi fled the country to avoid charges and has ties to Mexico and Iraq.
- Only AZFamily reports his blood alcohol level (0.141) and that he lacked a valid driver’s license.
Ali Thoban Alebadi, 20, was arrested Aug. 19 in Glendale, Arizona, on charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a March 22 crash that killed a passenger and seriously injured another driver. Police say Alebadi fled the country afterward to avoid arrest before being tracked down and taken into custody five months later. He was issued a $3 million bond and is expected in court Aug. 27.
What happened on March 22?
According to court documents cited by AZFamily, Alebadi’s reckless driving spree began around 7:30 a.m. when he exited Loop 101 onto Glendale Avenue and nearly lost control turning off the ramp. He then drove into the Westgate Entertainment District, where surveillance video allegedly caught him cutting off other drivers, making wide dangerous turns, running at least eight red lights, and driving into oncoming traffic.
An officer tried to pull him over near 57th Avenue, but Alebadi sped off instead of stopping. While pursuing him, the officer’s patrol vehicle crashed into a 2023 Toyota Tacoma at an intersection, leaving the Tacoma’s driver with what court documents describe as serious, life-altering injuries. The officer was hospitalized but not seriously hurt.
Alebadi kept driving down Glendale Avenue and struck a Nissan Sentra at 51st Avenue, killing the passenger in that vehicle. The Sentra’s driver suffered serious injuries and remains in a coma, according to the court documents. Alebadi himself was treated at a hospital for a broken leg and released. Investigators say his blood alcohol concentration measured 0.141 after the crashes, and he did not have a valid driver’s license.
How did he avoid arrest for so long?
Court documents say Alebadi left the country after the crashes specifically to avoid being charged. It’s not clear exactly where he went, but the documents note he has ties to both Mexico and Iraq. He was eventually located and arrested back in Glendale on Aug. 19, roughly five months after the crash.
What are the charges and bond?
Alebadi faces murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges tied to the two crashes. A judge set his bond at $3 million following the arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 27.
Why this case stands out
Cases involving a lengthy manhunt after a driver flees the country following a deadly crash are relatively unusual for local traffic-fatality coverage, which is part of why the fugitive angle features prominently in reporting. The case also involves a secondary victim — the officer’s patrol vehicle collision with the Tacoma — meaning the pursuit itself caused serious injury before the fatal crash occurred further down the road.
Comparing the coverage
The two outlets covering this story offer very different levels of detail. 12 News Phoenix published a brief item focused narrowly on the arrest and the $3 million bond figure, without detailing the underlying crash. AZFamily provided a fuller account, drawing on court documents to lay out the sequence of the March 22 incident, the officer’s crash with the Tacoma, the fatal collision with the Sentra, Alebadi’s blood alcohol level, his lack of a valid license, and his flight from the country before arrest.
Sources
Featured photo: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)