Tempe, Arizona: Rideshare Driver Beaten and Left on Life Support After Carjacking That Ended on I-10

A Tempe rideshare driver is on life support with injuries doctors call non-survivable after a beating and carjacking on Nov. 6 that ended with a second family fighting the suspect out of their pickup on Interstate 10 near the New Mexico line, according to court documents reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.

Samuel Caleb Araujo Goodrick, 21, of Phoenix, was booked on accusations that include attempted second-degree murder, robbery and auto theft. A Maricopa County judge ordered him held on a $1.5 million cash-only bond, citing the danger to the public and the likelihood that the victim will not survive.

Found in a Tempe industrial park

Tempe police responded at about 5:50 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 to a 911 welfare check in an industrial park near Priest Drive and Elliott Road. A coworker arriving at the site found Chadwick Stevens slumped against a truck tire, unresponsive and covered in blood, FOX 10 reported.

Crews took Stevens to Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, where doctors placed him in a medically induced coma. FOX 10 reported severe facial fractures, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a brainstem injury that doctors called unsalvageable. Stevens co-owns a business in the warehouse complex and also works as a rideshare driver. He had not returned home after a night on the road. His partner tracked his location with the Life360 app and rushed to the scene.

Stevens's black 2021 GMC Yukon was missing from the lot. Investigators found his cell phone, a protective phone case and Goodrick's passport discarded along the roadside near Interstate 10 and Elliot Road, according to the court documents.

A stolen SUV in New Mexico and a family on I-10

Authorities believe Goodrick drove the Yukon east on I-10 into New Mexico. The SUV was later found abandoned, facing the wrong direction on an off-ramp 11 miles past the state line in Hidalgo County. As New Mexico State Police responded, Goodrick allegedly climbed into the bed of a pickup towing a travel trailer as a family merged onto the highway.

The family stayed behind the wheel and drove west toward Arizona while Goodrick threatened them from the truck bed. After the truck crossed into Cochise County, he allegedly shattered the rear window and climbed naked into the cab. The family fought back, pulled over near San Simon and forced him out.

New Mexico State Police and Arizona troopers detained Goodrick on I-10, where he was naked and obstructing traffic. Court documents say he told a trooper that he had killed someone in Arizona, and detectives say the statements continued at Northern Cochise Community Hospital in Willcox, where he was taken for medical clearance. Inside the Yukon, investigators recovered his debit card, a phone, a flip-flop and a fast-food receipt from Surprise.

Bond, court remarks and what is still unknown

Back in the Valley, officers could not safely carry out a search warrant for Goodrick's fingerprints and DNA at the Tempe City Jail because he was combative, FOX 10 reported. At his initial court appearance, he made erratic remarks, claiming he had fought in a spiritual war and asking how long he would be a sleepwalker. Arizona's Family reported that the judge warned the charge could be upgraded if Stevens does not survive. Forensic psychologist Dr. John De La Torre told the station he expects an evaluation of whether Goodrick is competent to stand trial.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive, whether Goodrick was riding as Stevens's rideshare passenger, or what charges he may face in New Mexico. The charges in Arizona are accusations. Goodrick is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.