A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for violent crimes that targeted people who were homeless and living at a Phoenix park.

Isaiah Adams will serve the jail time followed by four years of supervised probation after he pleaded guilty to counts of armed robbery, aggravated assault and drug offenses, according to a release Saturday from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Adams was on pretrial release for street-level drug sales in June 2024 when he “violently attacked a homeless man who was asleep at a bus stop near La Pradera Park” near 39^th Avenue and Glendale, the release stated.

“Adams kicked the man in the face and ribs to wake him, and as the victim tried to escape, Adams shot him in the back. The victim was permanently paralyzed because of the attack.”

He was involved in another violent confrontation nine days later with a different homeless person. Adams fired at least nine shots, striking the victim in the foot. He was arrested 10 days later while driving a stolen vehicle and was in possession of illegal drugs, authorities said.

“This predator didn’t just commit random acts of violence, he deliberately targeted the most vulnerable people in our community,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.

“He shot, paralyzed and terrorized individuals who were simply trying to survive. This kind of cruelty is beyond cowardly, and it has no place in Maricopa County.”

We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.