Teen arrested in Peoria car crash that killed family of 5

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Peoria police have arrested a teenager for causing a November car crash that killed five people, including three children.

Authorities say Peoria officers located the 17-year-old boy Thursday morning in neighboring Glendale.

The teen, who is not being identified because of his age, was booked into jail on five counts of second-degree murder. He is currently being held in a juvenile detention facility.

Investigators say speed and impairment are believed to be factors in the collision and traffic-related investigations can often take months.

On the night of Nov. 20, a Jeep SUV struck a Mazda van as it was making a left turn.

The Mazda was carrying two adults and four children. All of them were wearing seatbelts or proper restraints. But 36-year-old Elizabeth Simpson of Glendale and 31-year-old Jace Hochstetler of Phoenix died at the scene. Three of the children, including a 14-year-old girl, later died.

The teen driver of the Jeep suffered minor injuries.