Archive for December, 2007Police arrest teen suspected of robberyDecember 21st, 2007, 5:43 pm by Katie McDevittPolice arrested a teen boy Thursday on suspicion of committing a strong armed robbery by blocking the path of a passerby who was walking in the area of and then demanding money.The victim had no money on him, so he told the 16-year-old robber that he would hand over all the change he had in his vehicle. The robber agreed, and stole the victim’s change, but was later caught by officers at and . The Tribune withholding the teen robber’s name since he is a juvenile. Mom who abused son in Wal-Mart sentencedDecember 21st, 2007, 5:42 pm by Katie McDevittA woman who hit her 10-year-old son in the face and stomach with a closed fist at a Mesa Wal-Mart in August was sentenced to one year in prison today and lifetime supervised probation, according to a statement from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. On November 21, Tina Lynn Tatum, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of Child Abuse. Police arrested Tatum at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Stapley Drive and Baseline Road after shoppers watched as she beat her little boy. Tatum was already on lifetime parole for child abuse because of her role in the death of her 3-month-old son, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend four years ago. Man critical after stabbingDecember 21st, 2007, 5:40 pm by Katie McDevittA 32-year-old man living in a group home in Apache Junction was in critical condition Friday after he was stabbed by another person in the group home, police said. Police have not released either the name of the victim or the assailant in the case. Apache Junction police spokesman Jay Swart said police have the suspect in custody. The victim, who had lost a lot of blood, was taken in critical condition to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn hospital. Police find SUV used in salon owner’s abductionDecember 21st, 2007, 1:02 pm by daryljamesDetectives have located the sport utility vehicle used in Thursday’s abduction of a Mesa salon owner, police said. A news release from Mesa police indicates the vehicle was located Thursday evening and is being processed for possible evidence. Earlier Friday, police identified the kidnapping victim as Reynalda Valdez-Cardenas, 31. The business owner was handcuffed about 10:50 a.m. Thursday and forced into an SUV outside her hair salon near Alma School Road and Eighth Avenue. The business, Kendy’s Beauty Salon, remained closed Friday. Police said two male kidnappers placed Valdez-Cardenas into an older model Nissan Pathfinder and fled the scene. Police said the vehicle was found near the salon, but investigators declined to say exactly where they found the vehicle. Mesa detectives said they were following up on various leads Friday, and the investigation was ongoing. Employees at the hair salon said two men entered the store and displayed handguns before ordering them to the back room. Two of the women were ordered to stay in the back room while Valdez-Cardenas was ordered to leave with the men. The employees said they were not familiar with the gunmen. The first gunman was described as a Hispanic male about 18 to 20 years old wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a black baseball cap. The second suspect was a Hispanic male about 18 to 20 years old wearing jeans and a yellow shirt. Investigators ask anyone with information about the crime to call police at (480) 644-2211 or Silent Witness at (480) 948-6377. Mesa business owner kidnappedDecember 21st, 2007, 12:16 am by andrebowserA Mesa business owner was handcuffed and forced into a car outside of her business in broad daylight Thursday by three male suspects, police said. The beauty salon owner was kidnapped from her shop on South Alma School Road near 8th Avenue about 11 a.m., a Mesa police dispatch supervisor said. She was working at the time of her abduction in a shopping center off a busy stretch of Alma School Road. She was shoved into a vehicle and driven away, police said. Traffic was stopped in the area near the kidnapping causing the late morning drivers to back up off Alma School Road, police said. As of 11 p.m., police had not located the woman or the three suspects in the kidnapping. No description of the suspects was available. Neither the name of the victim nor her business was available. Sheriff Arpaio called to jury dutyDecember 20th, 2007, 10:09 am by daryljamesMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio reported to jury duty Thursday morning in downtown Phoenix. He said in a prepared statement that he was thriled with the call to civic duty, but he does not expect to make the final cut for a case assignment. “I have no excuses prepared to get out of serving,” Arpaio said. “In fact, I’d love to serve but I seriously doubt that anyone would want me on a jury in this county. Any criminal defense attorney would probably figure I’m a little too hard nosed to be considered impartial.” Arpaio is at the court building at 111 S. Third Street, where is he waiting for his name to be called to a courtroom, where a judge will question his worthiness as a jury member. Man tries to punch policeDecember 19th, 2007, 12:38 pm by Katie McDevittPolice arrested a man Wednesday in connection with breaking into a Tempe home and punching a man inside. Justin Ballard, 25, of Gilbert, was booked into Tempe City Jail on suspicion of burglary and aggravated assault on a police officer. Police said they responded to a “subject disturbing” call in the area of 810 S. Maple about 2 a.m. and saw a woman screaming that someone broke into her home and was still inside. When additional officers arrived on scene, they contacted the man inside the home, but as they were trying to arrest him, the man tried to punch an officer and struggled with others. Police believe Ballard attempted to forcibly enter the occupied home through the front door, but eventually broke out a window to get inside. Burglary suspects arrestedDecember 19th, 2007, 12:31 pm by Gary GradoA Mesa police SWAT unit used tear gas to get a burglary suspect out of a house where he was hiding Tuesday. Feds seize thousands of fake checksDecember 18th, 2007, 12:29 pm by Katie McDevittA team of Canadian and U.S. fraud investigators based in Thugs punch woman, take purseDecember 18th, 2007, 8:41 am by Gary GradoA woman sitting inside a sandwich shop got robbed by a couple of thugs Monday. |