Cop Shop

Chandler police are asking the public to help find a woman who was taken from her apartment Monday during a possible burglary attempt.

Authorities believe Irene Perry, 22, is endangered and missing from her apartment at 4800 South Alma School Road. Police responded to a burglary call at the residence at 12:10 p.m. Perry was last seen about 9:30 a.m.

Investigators believe Perry was involved in a physical struggle with a male suspect during the burglary, said police. Some of Perry’s personal items were located by police in a neighborhood near the apartment complex, according to police reports.

Perry is described by police as a white woman with blue eyes and brown hair pulled into a ponytail. Perry is about 5 feet and 4 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink sweater, black pants, black shoes and had a black purse.

Police had no description or information about the male suspect.

The Chandler Police Department is asking anyone with information about this case to call (480) 782-4130.

By Eddi Trevizo and Mike Sakal

A 4-year-old girl was thrown from a car and seriously injured in a multi-vehicle crash Friday afternoon, Mesa police said.

The little girl, whose name was not released, was not secured by a seat belt or a child seat at the time of the accident, Mesa authorities said. The child was thrown from the vehicle and struck by another car at the intersection of University Drive and Higley Road.

The little girl received a serious blow to the head, but is expected to be survive, authorities said. She was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Police said two passengers from two other vehicles also involved in the collision received injuries.

According to police, a 7 year old, 2 year old and another 4-year-old child were in the minivan that crashed about 3:08 p.m. Police said the other children were not restrained.

Authorities believe the minivan made a left turn at the intersection in front of a vehicle going in the opposite direction. Authorities said the driver of the minivan will face charges for failure to yield and for not properly securing two children under the age of five.

A man suspected threatening a Quik Trip employee and a passerby with a knife was arrested Wednesday night.

According to Mesa police reports, a Quik Trip employee saw Lee Eugene Helck loitering on a bike outside a Quik Trip convenience store parking lot, near McKellips Road and Country Club Drive, and asked him to leave.

Helck ignored the request according to police, and was asked to leave again when he pulled out a knife and threatened to kill the employee. According to reports another man approached and tried to help but was also threatened by Helck.

Helck fled the scene on his bike and was detained by police a short while later. Helck admitted to police he threatened the employee with a knife because he took offense after being asked to leave the parking lot.

Helck was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

A detention officer believed to have been providing cocaine to inmates in return for sexual favors was arrested Monday, said Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials.

Ryan White, 26, a four-year veteran at the Fourth Avenue Jail is suspected of befriending a female inmate and her roommate and providing them with cocaine that he smuggled into the jail in the pocket of his uniform, sheriff officials said.

Reports said that the two women “coerced” White into providing drugs in exchange for sexual favors.

Rebecca Real, 28, and Priscilla Marquez, 23, were also placed under arrest, according to reports.

White was booked and held on suspicion of promoting jail contraband and assisting in a criminal syndicate.

 The man who killed a Tempe teen when he plowed into the 17-year-old boy’s car in a drunken driving accident was sentenced to nine years in prison, said the Maricopa County Attorney’s officials.

Raymond Kohan, 35, was found guilty of manslaughter and endangerment on July 1, 2008 for the May 2006 crash that killed 17-year-old Sean Andujar, a Marcos de Niza High School student.

Kohan was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison and three years of supervised probation. Police reports said an hour after the collision Kohan’s blood alcohol level was found to be .155, almost twice the legal limit.

“This conviction and sentence won’t undo the tragedy that claimed such a young life, but at least it will ensure that Raymond Kohan will be off the streets for a long time,” said County Attorney Andrew Thomas. 

Records show that before the fatal crash, Kohan had been convicted of DUI twice before - in 2001 and 2002. Court records also revealed that Kohan had previous arrests on suspicion of drug-related offenses, theft, probation violation and driving with a suspended license.

The tragic case was fueled by controversy in August 2008 when Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman penned a letter to the Maricopa County Superior Court judge pleading for leniency on behalf of Kohan.

“In case you feel a prison sentence is warranted, I plead that you grant Raymond leniency on his sentencing,” said a letter written by Berman to Judge Michael W. Kemp on Aug. 19, 2008.

Berman stated in the letter that he has known “Raymond and his family socially and professionally” for several years, however Berman refused to comment further on his relationship to Kohan.

Berman wrote an apology to the community weeks after pleading for leniency, saying he had made a mistake.

Mesa police arrested a woman suspected of fleeing the scene of a four vehicle collision that killed a pedestrian and left two others injured Wednesday night.

Caroline J. Begay , 39, was arrested Wednesday night for fleeing after she struck a car causing a chain reaction that struck several other cars stopped near Third Street and Country Club Drive. Drivers were attempting to help a man who was struck while crossing the road when the second collision happened, said Mesa police spokesman Ed Wessing.

Ted L. Fletcher,63, was pronounced dead at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborne Hospital from head and chest trauma.  According to authorities, Fletcher was crossing the street at an unmarked crosswalk Wednesday night near Third Street and Country Club Drive , when he was fatally struck by a truck.

Three concerned drivers stopped to help Fletcher when their cars were struck by a fourth driver who fled the scene of the pile-up. Two passengers inside the parked vehicles sustained non life-threating injuries.

According to police reports Begay spun her rear wheels, turning a complete 360, and continued southbound on S. Country Club where she stopped her vehicle after turning right onto W. 6th Ave.

Officers who responded to the scene said Begay used several profanities and was being belligerent and uncooperative with officers. Reports show that Begay had watery eyes and was very unsteady on her feet. Begay refused to respond to officers questions saying “I want my lawyer” and finally told police that “this is my second DUI how much time will I have to do?”.

Authorities said Begay, who has five warrants out for her arrest, was arrested on suspicion of fleeing the scene of an injury involved collision and extreme DUI charges.

Mesa police were on the scene of two fatal motorcycle collisions Tuesday afternoon.

One accident occurred at 24^th Street and Brown Road about 4:20 p.m. while another accident occurred at Ellsworth Road and University Drive about 6:50 p.m., according to Mesa police.

Both collisions happened when a motorcycle smashed into a truck and fatally injured passengers on the motorcycle.

The driver of the motorcycle, Alan Hamann, 20, was fatally injured in the accident at 24^th Street and Brown Road. According to police, the driver of the truck was turning east onto a frontage road near Brown. Hamann was traveling west at accelerated speed when his motorcycle collided with the side of the truck, Mesa police said. The cause of the accident is not known but police said impairment is not believed to be a factor.

According to police, a woman was killed and a man was seriously injured and flown to the hospital after their motorcycle crashed into a truck at Ellsworth Road and University Drive. Police do not know the cause of the accident and investigators are still on scene.

Authorities said the intersection at Ellsworth Road and University Drive, in Mesa will be closed for approximately two hours and drivers are advised to avoid the area.

An anonymous tipster led police to arrest a man suspected of robbing a Wells Fargo Bank in June 2008, Mesa authorities said.

The armed robbery occurred at a Wells Fargo Bank located near Main Street and Signal Butte Road on June 10. According to police reports, the suspect handed a note to a bank teller saying he was armed and demanding money. After taking the money the suspect fled the scene on a bicycle, police said.

Three days later, an anonymous person told police they suspected Brett A. White, 21, was the armed robber. White initially denied involvement and volunteered fingerprints and DNA to authorities, reports show.

A fingerprint found on the demand note left by the robbery suspect matched White’s right index finger, according to Mesa police.

White was arrested by police Monday morning on suspicion of armed robbery.

Mesa police are searching for a 16 year-old boy who went missing from his home Tuesday.

According to police, Alex Gorall was reported missing by his father who came home from voting to find his son gone. The boy’s father told police that it is uncharacteristic for his son to leave without notifying anyone.

He is described as a white male with blond hair and blue eyes wearing braces and prescription glasses. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 180 pounds.

Alex attends an online school and does not socialize very much, said police reports. The family lives near Mountain and Warner Roads in Mesa.

Anyone who has seen or heard from Alex is asked to call the Mesa Police Department or a local law enforcement agency.

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.