Cop Shop

A 58-year-old woman who died in a Tempe apartment fire Nov. 23 was identified Wednesday as Brenda Kessler.

Authorities said she was found near her front door at the Hidden Glen Apartments, 818 W. 3^rd St., apparently overcome as she fled the fire.

Mike Reichling, Tempe fire spokesman, said investigators have determined that the fire started from smoking in bed. 

A man held up a downtown Chandler restaurant Monday at gunpoint.
According to detective Frank Mendoza, Chandler spokesman, the crew of Brunchies, 17 E. Boston St., was preparing to open just before 6 a.m. when a man in a ski mask, blue jeans and black shirt came in with a handgun.
Mendoza said the man made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

Four people are behind bars after the driver of a mini van tried to run over a motorcycle cop and led police on a short chase Thursday, police said.
According to Mesa police, officer Brad Withrow saw the mini van almost cause a traffic accident as it left a bar near Broadway and Alma School roads.
Withrow pulled the van over, but it took off again and ran a red light at Extension and Main Street.
The van made a wide left turn at Extension and University Drive and ended up stopped on the sidewalk, according to a police report.
Withrow pulled up at an angle behind the van, which then backed towards him and left again.
Withrow was able to drive out of the way.
Officers chased the van, which had two flat tires, to Longmore and McDowell Road where the pursuit ended.
According to police, there was no traffic and the top speed was 40 mph.
The driver, Author Shaw, 24, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, felony flight and drunken driving.
Adam Jackson, 20, was arrested on a felony warrant. He pleaded guilty to theft in April and was placed on probation, according to court records.
Police from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community arrested the other passengers, Jennifer Correo, 26, and Girard Lopez, 25.

Mesa police arrested a 33-year-old woman Wednesday on suspicion of child abuse and extreme drunken driving after she left her 4-year-old daughter home alone, according to court documents.
Checkie Hessel drew attention when she tried to pick up her child from daycare that she had picked up four hours earlier.
Witnesses said Hessel appeared intoxicated and confused.
A neighbor found the child alone at home naked from the waist down and eating cheese and Ovaltine powder from the container, the court document states.
Police said Hessel admitted to to drinking a half pint of vodka and she theorized that she blacked out at home and forgot about picking up her daughter earlier.

Two men got away after the home-invasion robbery of a Mesa apartment Monday.
According to Mesa police, the gun-toting men forced their way into the apartment at 843 S. Longmore and took property from four people inside.
The robbers were described as black men between 25 and 30 years old. One man was 5 feet 11 to 6 feet tall, 220 pounds, green eyes, shaved head and slight beard. He wore a green short sleeved, button up shirt and green suede shoes. The other man was described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, 150 to 170 pounds, shaved head and a well manicured goatee. He wore a silver jersey and black jeans.

A big-bellied man weighing between 250 to 300 pounds assaulted another man and forced him to hand over his wallet Thursday.
According to Mesa police, the victim and his girlfriend were walking south on Country Club Drive just south of 8th Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. when a man approached them on a black mountain bicycle.
The man on the bike asked the victim for his money. The victim refused and the suspect, described as having mid-length brown hair and tattoos on both forearms, assaulted him and took his cash.
The suspect slowly rode away west on Emerald Avenue.
He was described as wearing a green button up long-sleeved shirt, dark gray sweatpants and raggedy black shoes.

An armed man stole a woman’s mini-van around noon Sunday as she loaded groceries into it at Food City, 450 E. Southern Ave.
The man held a gun to the woman’s head and demanded her keys.
He left in the white 2002 Ford Windstar, which had an Arizona temporary tag, tinted windows and “Amway Global” across the window.
The robber was described as Hispanic, 35-40 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches, 170 pounds, brown hair and green eyes.
He was wearing a blue and white plaid long sleeve shirt and green camouflage pants tucked into black combat boots.

A pick up truck struck and killed a pedestrian Sunday at a Mesa intersection.
According to Mesa police, a 2000 Chevrolet truck was in the westbound curb lane of Broadway Road approaching Horne at about 8:30 p.m. when the pedestrian stepped into the road against the traffic signal.
The pedestrian was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn hospital and pronounced dead.
Police have yet to notify the next of kin.
The driver of the truck was not impaired and no charges are pending, according to police.

Two thugs robbed a woman Thursday minutes after she cashed her paycheck.
The woman cashed her check at Broadway Road and Stapley Drive and then drove to her apartment at 950 E. Southern Ave, according to Mesa police.
The men, one of them armed with a gun, struck as she was getting out of her car. One of the robbers was described as a Hispanic male, 5 feet, 6 inches, 160 pounds, brown hair, big moustache, 40 to 50 years old and wearing a checkered shirt and jeans. There was no description on the second suspect.

A suspected armed robber took it on the chin in an attempted hold up of a 54-year-old woman Saturday.
According to police reports, Michael Anthony Marcellino, 60, concealed a stun gun in a beanie as he robbed the woman of her purse in the parking lot at Wal-Mart, 4505 E. McKellips Road.
A 40-year-old good Samaritan came to the woman’s rescue, however, and punched Marcellino in the face and got the purse back.
Mesa police were able to respond quickly and arrest Marcellino, who suffered a large cut under his eye.