Cop Shop

An armed robber on Tuesday got away with boxes of tile from a Mesa man who was in the middle of a home-improvement project. 

According to Mesa police, the homeowner in the 700 block of north Miller looked outside to see a man loading boxes of tiles he had stacked in his circular driveway into a car.

When the homeowner confronted the robber, he pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and pointed it at the homeowner. 

The homeowner backed away and the man got into the passenger seat of the car, which drove away.

Tempe and ASU police will step up traffic enforcement this week around Metro light rail tracks and crossings.
According to a Tempe police press release, the enforcement comes this week as Arizona State University students – many of whom weren’t in town when the rail system became active last month - return to class.

Mesa police discovered a drop house for suspected illegal immigrants on Saturday.
According to a police report, Mesa police got a call of a fight at 639 S. Elm and that the home was a drop house and people were being held against their will.
A drop house is a location where illegal immigrants who have paid to be smuggled into the U.S. stage before the next leg of their trip to their final destination.
Often times, smuggling groups will hold the people against their will and demand more money for the trip.
People were running from the home as police arrived, but officers were able to find out that illegal immigrants were being held inside.
Police hostage negotiators were called in and they were able to talk the group into coming outside.
Twenty nine people were detained and turned over to agents with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An 18-year-old man died Tuesday in a head-on collision on Broadway Road in Mesa between Higley and Recker roads.
According to Mesa police, Joseph Poirier sped his Honda CRX west through the intersection of 56th Street and Broadway Road and collided with an eastbound Ford Expedition that was making a left turn into a private driveway.
The Honda then collided on the passenger side with a light pole.
The 30-year-old driver of the Expedition and her one-year-old passenger were not injured, police said.

A 33-year old man drove a car into a canal after trying to elude cops Monday, police said.
Michael Alfaro was booked on suspicion of aggravated assault on a police officer, burglary, and criminal damage.
According to Gilbert police, officers responded to a call of a vehicle burglary in progress at 3225 E. Baseline Road about 4:50 a.m.
Alfaro drove straight at police in an attempt to escape, police said.
Police chased him until he went into the canal east of Greenfield Road and Desert Lane.
No one was injured in the incident.

An armed gunman got away with cash Monday from a Mesa fast-food restaurant.
According to Mesa police, the robber was described as a black male, 20 to 30 years old, between 5 feet, 7 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches, 170 to 180 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket with a hood and black cargo pants.
Police said the man walked into the Jack-in-the-Box at 1860 W. Southern Ave. about 6:40 p.m. and demanded cash.
He left on foot, police said.

An unshaven, scruffy-haired robber knocked over a Circle K Monday in Mesa.
According to Mesa police, the robber pulled a black semi-automatic handgun on the clerk at 4353 S. Southern Ave. about 11:08 p.m. He left in a silver or gray four-door passenger car with the money.
The robber is described as a white male, 28 to 40 years old and wearing a gray sweatshirt and black hat.

Mesa police arrested a 20-year-old man Thursday who is suspected of burglarizing a neighbor’s home and then keeping police at bay while he held a gun to his head.
According to Mesa police, the incident began to unfold at 4 p.m. when they responded to a call about suspicious activity in the 2000 block of East Fairfield.
Police found a home that had been burglarized and as they were investigating learned there was a suicidal man next door. They also heard a gunshot.
Police learned that the man, identified as Richard Rodenbaugh, had also burglarized the neighbor’s home and made the initial call, according to a police report.
Rodenbaugh came out of his home with a gun to his head and returned inside after refusing to drop the gun. He came out a second time and dropped the gun.

A 21-year-old shoplifting suspect took a swing at a Mesa cop Thursday and got a blast of electricity and a jail cell in return.

According to Mesa police, the officer was trying to detain Philip Raphael Jr., when Raphael struck him several times in the chest and arms before running away.

The officer fired his Taser at Raphael and arrested him. Also arrested was Christopher Phillips, who was turned over to Scottsdale police on a warrant.

The incident began at 3:50 p.m. when someone at Walgreens at 8th Avenue and Alma School Road reported that two men stole alcohol.

The officer arrived and noticed bulges in their clothing.