Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the killing of a Good Samaritan in Arizona.

Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the death of Paul Clifford, who was reported missing after assisting a stranger with his car and was later discovered deceased.

A Pima County sheriff's patrol vehicle parked in downtown Tucson, Ariz.

Jan. 3, 2025, 11:12 AM GMT+6

Three individuals were arrested this week in connection with the death of a good Samaritan in Arizona last month, authorities confirmed.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department identified two of the suspects arrested on Monday as Jack Upchurch, 40, and Elmer Smith, 19. The third suspect is a 16-year-old, whose identity is not being released due to their age. NBC News typically refrains from identifying minors involved in criminal cases.

The trio faces charges related to the death of 53-year-old Paul Clifford, whose body was discovered near a burning car northeast of Tucson last month.

Clifford's daughter, Sabrina Vining, shared in an online fundraiser that her father had gone missing after leaving his home at 11:30 p.m. on December 23 to assist a stranger whose vehicle was stranded.

According to NBC affiliate KVOA in Tucson, Clifford’s family reported him missing after a man came to their door, requesting help with a broken-down car.

Clifford’s body was later found, though the sheriff’s department has not disclosed the cause or manner of his death.

On Monday, authorities received a tip that led them to a possible location of the three suspects. Detectives obtained a search warrant for a property, which was executed by the Pima Regional SWAT team.

The suspects barricaded themselves inside a home and eventually contacted 911 to negotiate their surrender. They were taken into custody without further incident. The sheriff's department has not revealed details about a motive or how the suspects are connected to Clifford's death.

The three individuals were booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Center on felony arrest warrants. It remains unclear whether they have legal representation, as jail records do not list attorneys for any of the suspects.

Upchurch's bond was set at $1 million, Smith's at $1.025 million, and the juvenile's bond was set at $500,000, according to jail records.

Vining expressed her gratitude for the arrests in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“The detective called us last night at 9:00 p.m. and told us they had suspects arrested and in custody!” Vining wrote. “Thank you to the law enforcement officers who worked so diligently on my dad’s case.”