Phoenix Police Seek Suspect After Bonfire Blast Injuries Teen
“It was like a scene out of a horror movie,” said Ethan Glass, the brother of 16-year-old Jaidynn Penberthy, describing the moment a car part hurled into a bonfire during a Halloween party in the Phoenix desert triggered an explosion that left his sister with life‑altering injuries. Phoenix police are now hunting a suspect they describe as a teen or young man between 16 and 25 who allegedly threw a vehicle shock absorber into the flames, according to AZ Family.
The Blast That Changed Everything
The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Friday near New River and Saddle Mountain roads, close to Lake Pleasant. Detectives say multiple people at the party were struck by debris, but Penberthy, a Peoria resident, was the only one seriously injured. Glass recounted how his sister was standing 10 feet away when the blast knocked her unconscious, her face ravaged by shrapnel from the exploded part. “There was a lot of blood,” he said. “She lost her pulse for like a minute.”
Penberthy suffered a broken jaw, multiple facial fractures, missing teeth, and burns. She was airlifted to a burn center and underwent facial reconstruction surgery, with several more operations still needed. “She’s been crying a lot just from being in so much pain and just like, it’s hard to breathe,” Glass said. Despite the trauma, he emphasized his sister’s resilience: “She’s very thankful that she’s alive, but she is confused.”
A Community Grapples With Tragedy
The incident has left Penberthy’s family and the Phoenix community reeling. I mean, I really don’t understand why he would do something of the sort. It makes no sense,” he said. The family has set up a GoFundMe to cover Penberthy’s medical expenses, a stark reminder of the financial burden such incidents can impose on families.
Phoenix police are urging anyone with information to come forward, offering the Silent Witness hotline (480‑WITNESS or 480‑TESTIGO) as a resource.
Glass described her current state: “She’s awake but unable to speak. She can write, and the family has been communicating with her that way.”
