West Valley Child Crime Case: Another Suspect Surfaces

PHOENIX — Police announced Monday the arrest of a second suspect in a West Valley child abuse case.

Peoria police arrested Marina Shmaeil Bethyo last Friday on 22 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. They also arrested her on two counts of child abuse.

According to police, Marina, 39, had several images and videos containing child abuse material at the time of her arrest.

How the second suspect in a West Valley child abuse case was found

Detectives discovered Bethyo’s alleged crimes while investigating another Peoria resident accused of sex crimes, police said.

The other suspect, 38-year-old Stiven Awshana, was arrested in late July.

Awshana was arrested on 27 charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, including possessing, recording and distributing the items.

He also faces the following additional charges:

• Four counts of child abuse.
• Three counts of providing harmful goods to minors.
• Two charges of endangerment.

Police have not specified how their investigation into Awshana led them to Bethyo.