Dog dies after suspected domestic violence incident in Peoria, police say

PEORIA, Ariz. — The Peoria Police Department is investigating a domestic violence incident reported Monday involving the death of a dog.

Police said officers are currently on scene trying to determine the circumstances leading to the reported incident near 81st Avenue and Peoria Avenue.

The situation appears to be an “isolated incident,” but it involves a dog that was fatally injured, police said.

No further details about the incident have been released.

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.

The valley is made up of several major cities other than Phoenix, including:

• Mesa
• Chandler
• Scottsdale
• Temple
• Glendale
• Surprise
• Peoria
• Gilbert
• The Mirage
• Avondale
• Litchfield Park
• Good year
• Buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on its location relative to Phoenix.

Valley cities have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country, just behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?

Maricopa County is the 4th largest county in the United States by population with 4,485,414 residents, according to the 2020 census.

The county is home to approximately 63% of Arizona's population and spans 9,224 square miles. This makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the country is also located in Maricopa County. The county has approximately 120,000 acres of open parks including hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the fifth most populous city in the United States according to the census.

The county is named for the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American tribe.