Cop Shop

Pinal County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Thursday afternoon after he shot another man several times for calling him a name.

The 64-year-old shooting victim claimed that an unknown man, later identified as suspect Glenn Cassidy, 62, was waiting for him at a target shooting area in Queen Valley, more than 20 miles north of Florence. The two men exchanged words and the victim called Cassidy a name, which caused Cassidy to draw his handgun and shoot the victim several times, according to PCSO spokeswoman Vanessa White.

The victim was able to contact a bystander who later called 911 at 4:30 p.m. after realizing the man had been shot.

The man was taken by helicopter to Scottsdale Osborn Hospital and is expected to survive his injuries, White said.

Witnesses described Cassidy’s vehicle to police and he was arrested less than two hours after the initial shooting, White said. Cassidy, a resident of Apache Junction, could face a charge for attempted first degree murder.

Police have not released the victim’s identity and Pinal County detectives are investigating the incident, White said.

Chandler police are trying to find other victims of James David Ritter’s recent fraudulent investment scheme in Scottsdale. The department’s unit is investigating Ritter for conducting a fraudulent investment scheme in the Scottsdale area this summer. Ritter, using the aliases David Danbury and Danny Ritter, solicited money from victims by falsely representing that he is a successful Wall Street investment broker. Ritter then stole money given to him by victims to invest on their behalf.

The U.S. Marshal’s Service arrested Ritter on Thursday in Las Vegas.  In 2005, Ritter was convicted in Florida of grand theft and sentenced to 10 years in Florida Department of Corrections. Until Thursday, Ritter successfully eluded law enforcement after failing to surrender himself to authorities to begin his Florida prison sentence.

Chandler police ask that anyone who gave money to Ritter to invest on their behalf to contact them at (480) 782-4400.

A Gilbert police officer was released from the hospital Wednesday morning after he was hit by a car while directing evening traffic.

Officer Ed Miller was attempting to shut down an area of road near the intersection of Ray and Lindsay roads when 40-year-old Deborah Burgesser struck him with her Chevy Suburban just before 7 p.m., according to police Sgt. Mark Marino.

Miller was in the middle of Ray Road wearing an orange traffic vest to block the area following an earlier collision when he was struck by the vehicle turning eastbound onto the street from southbound La Arboleta  Drive. He received minor head and arm injuries and was transported to Mercy Gilbert Hospital.

Burgesser has not received any citations for the accident but the investigation is still pending, Marino said.

Miller has returned home and is expected to begin working again within a few days.

Mesa police arrested a man suspected of brutally punching an autistic and special needs child left in his care.

Brian Salvador Arredondo, 18, was the caregiver of a 13-year-old child police reports described as autistic, bi-polar, and mentally disabled. According to Mesa authorities, Arredondo beat the boy repeatedly in the face with a closed fist Friday morning.

The boy’s mother witnessed the scene as she arrived home from worked and had to pry Arredondo away from her son as he continued to beat the boy, said police reports.

The child was taken to his school where he received treatment for a black eye and several scratches on his face and back, said authorities. 

Police reports said the beating began after the child escaped from the house near 48th street and Adobe Road. The boy started running away from the defendant who told police he “lost his temper” and began to punch the boy in the face.

Police said Arredondo confessed to the beating and was arrested and booked into the Mesa jail on suspicion of one count of child abuse.

A Gilbert police officer was injured while directing traffic at the scene of a vehicle collision late Tuesday.

The officer was responding to an accident that occurred at Lindsay and Ray roads about 7 p.m. when he was struck by a driver.

According to Gilbert authorities, the female driver turning at the intersection did not see the officer and struck him causing a possible broken arm and other minor injuries. The officer was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to be OK, police said.

Investigators were still on scene about 9:30 p.m. and Lindsay and Ray roads were expected to be closed for several hours, police said. Drivers were advised to avoid the area.

Check back at evtrib.com for more updates.