Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Face Phoenix Charges

If you are searching for Antonio Luis Felix, Luis Ricardo Vasquez Jr., or the alleged Phoenix police traffic stop near Broadway Road between 15th and 19th avenues, this page summarizes what the public record says, what remains unproven, and why anyone involved should preserve evidence now.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed direct complaints on August 25, 2026, accusing the two former Phoenix police officers of conduct arising from a late-night stop on August 5. The filings list nine counts, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy to commit hindering prosecution. News reports say both men were released on bond.

Important case-status note: These are allegations in a pending criminal case, not findings of guilt. Felix and Vasquez are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. This article does not identify the two people involved in the stop, even though their names appear in public court records.

What Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Are Accused Of

According to the direct complaints and news reports, Felix and Vasquez were on duty in a Phoenix Police Department Tahoe late on August 5. Prosecutors allege they used the vehicle’s lights intermittently to stop a 2014 Dodge Charger and struck the Charger’s rear bumper with the police vehicle.

The stop reportedly occurred at about 11:30 p.m. near Broadway Road in south Phoenix. Early accounts based on a Tempe police report described the location as near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road. Later reporting on the probable-cause paperwork says the Charger stopped near 15th Avenue and Broadway Road. The public allegations include the following:

• Vasquez allegedly broke the driver’s-side window, pointed or displayed a firearm, struck the male driver, and threatened to shoot him.
• Both occupants reportedly said a Taser was used during the encounter.
• The female passenger reported that she was removed from the car, placed in an arm bar, shocked, and handcuffed. A charging count specifically accuses Felix of injuring her while her ability to resist was substantially impaired.
• The male driver escaped in the Charger and later left the damaged vehicle in Tempe.
• The two people initially believed they might have encountered police impersonators. They later sought medical care and documented their injuries.
• Investigators found no reported traffic stop, body-camera recording, call for service, use-of-force report, or supervisor notification associated with the encounter.
• Prosecutors allege the officers concealed or destroyed cellphone evidence and later denied having made a stop or having any interaction with the car.

Those points remain accusations. The evidence, defenses, and credibility of witnesses will be tested through the criminal process.

What the Nine-Count Phoenix Police Complaint Says

The complaints filed in Maricopa County Superior Court charge both former officers with two counts of kidnapping. They also include aggravated-assault counts, tampering with physical evidence, threatening or intimidating, and conspiracy to commit hindering prosecution. Vasquez faces an additional criminal-damage count tied to the driver’s-side window.

The complaint alleges that Vasquez used or threatened to use a gun against the driver. It alleges that both officers injured the driver while his capacity to resist was substantially impaired, and that Felix injured the passenger under similar circumstances. It also identifies a cellphone as the physical evidence the defendants allegedly made unavailable.

Filing a direct complaint begins a prosecution. It does not establish that any count is true, and a charge is not a conviction.

Why the Missing Body Camera and Reports Matter

Body-camera video is often the most direct record of a police encounter. A call-for-service log, radio traffic, vehicle location data, use-of-force report, and supervisor notification can also establish when an encounter began, where it happened, who participated, and what officers reported afterward.

When those ordinary records are missing, other evidence becomes especially important. That may include:

• phone photos, videos, messages, and call histories;
• original image files with date and location metadata;
• medical records and photographs of injuries;
• the damaged vehicle and repair estimates;
• nearby business, traffic, doorbell, or residential video;
• witnesses who saw the stop, heard threats, or observed either vehicle;
• dispatch records, license-plate queries, GPS data, and police-vehicle records.

Some of this evidence can be overwritten or lost quickly. A person does not have to decide today whether to pursue a civil claim in order to preserve what already exists.

If You Were Involved in This Stop or Witnessed It

If you were one of the people stopped on August 5, witnessed any part of the encounter, or have video from the Broadway Road corridor between 15th and 19th avenues, keep the original files. Do not edit, crop, annotate, or post the only copy online. Save a second copy without changing the original filename or metadata.

Also write down what you remember in your own words while details are still fresh. Include the time, location, vehicles, lights or sirens, statements you heard, officer descriptions, injuries, nearby businesses, and anyone else who may have seen what happened. Keep damaged property, clothing, medical paperwork, receipts, and communications connected to the incident.

If you had a different encounter with Antonio Felix or Luis Vasquez while either served with Phoenix police, that information may or may not relate to this investigation. Preserve your records and let a lawyer assess relevance before drawing conclusions.

A Civil Claim Is Separate From the Criminal Case

The criminal prosecution belongs to the State of Arizona. Its purpose is to decide whether the charged offenses can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. A civil case has a different purpose and can address injuries, financial losses, emotional harm, constitutional violations, and other damages when the evidence and law support them.

The two processes can proceed on different schedules. An arrest, criminal charge, bond release, plea, dismissal, or verdict does not automatically resolve a civil claim. It also does not necessarily pause a civil deadline.

Claims involving a public employee or government entity may have notice and filing requirements that arrive much sooner than people expect. The correct deadline depends on the facts and the possible defendants. Our Arizona injury deadline guide explains why waiting for the criminal case to end can be risky, but only a review of the specific incident can identify the dates that apply.

Law Badgers Handles Arizona Civil Rights Cases

This is not simply a damaged-vehicle claim. Allegations of an unjustified detention, force, threats, evidence concealment, or an unreported police encounter can raise complex Arizona injury and federal civil-rights issues.

Law Badgers attorney Sean Woods has litigated federal civil-rights matters and argued wrongful search, seizure, and excessive-force cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can also watch our firm’s Ninth Circuit oral argument in Franco v. Mesa Police Department, a civil-rights excessive-force case.

That experience matters when evidence may be spread across police systems, medical providers, phones, vehicles, public records, and independent witnesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez been convicted?

No. As of August 26, 2026, the public record reflects criminal charges and a pending case. Charges are allegations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Can someone bring a civil claim while criminal charges are pending?

Potentially. Criminal and civil cases are separate, and the available claims and best timing depend on the facts. Anyone considering a civil claim should get advice promptly rather than assume the criminal case protects a filing deadline.

What should a witness do with video of the Phoenix traffic stop?

Keep the original file and make a secure backup. Avoid editing it or relying on a social-media upload as the only copy. Record where and when it was captured and who has possessed it.

What if I had another encounter with either former officer?

Preserve any reports, citation paperwork, photos, video, messages, medical records, and the date and location. A prior encounter is not automatically evidence in this case, but an attorney can evaluate whether it has independent legal significance.

Speak With Law Badgers Confidentially

If you were involved in the August 5 stop, witnessed it, possess relevant video, or want a prior encounter with Antonio Felix or Luis Vasquez reviewed, contact us privately. We will listen before reaching conclusions, and we will not publish your information.

Call (833) DTF-IGHT or send Law Badgers a confidential message. The consultation is free. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no result is guaranteed.

This article provides general information based on public records and reporting available on August 26, 2026. It is not legal advice. We will update it if the public case status materially changes.