Cop Shop

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a mutual aid agreement that commits staff and resources from several county agencies to assist members of the Pinal County Law Enforcement Association, also known as PCLEA, during an emergency.The county agencies include the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Pinal County Adult Probation Department and Pinal County Homeland Security/Emergency Management.PCLEA consists of city, state and county law enforcement agencies.The agreement commits all member agencies to aid any agency that is faced with an emergency.

A man who was named on Apache Junction’s Top Ten Wanted list was arrested Tuesday inside a trailer park.Andrew Eugene Rodriguez, 34, was arrested about 1:30 p.m. at 1560 West Superstition Boulevard.Police said Rodriguez was wanted in connection with two felony investigations involving misconduct with weapons and also had three warrants out for his arrest.Rodriguez is also under investigation on suspicion of several felony charges in another city, police said.He was booked into the Pinal County Jail.

Last month during a traffic stop, highway patrol officers and investigators uncovered 134 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1 million, Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said. On July 19, officers pulled over an Oldsmobile sport utility vehicle traveling west on Interstate 10 near Marana because it was traveling slowly and impeding traffic, officials said.A canine officer sniffed out the cocaine, which officers said was "creatively concealed deep inside the searched vehicle.

Officers caught a 15-year-old boy on Tuesday evening driving west on Interstate 10 halfway between Tucson and Phoenix with 391 pounds of marijuana in his trunk.Department of Public Safety officers arrested Marco Bojorquez of Nogales on suspicion of possessing, transporting and selling marijuana, and they seized his 1997 Land Rover.An officer stopped Bojorquez for a traffic violation, and canine officer "Alex" sniffed out a bale of marijuana in the back of the sport utility vehicle.Bojorquez is being held in Pinal County jail in Florence awaiting formal charges.DPS officers and investigators seized 8,000 pounds of marijuana in the state in July alone, said Officer Quentin Mehr.

A man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend

A pre-trial hearing for two 16-year-olds charged with killing Amber LeAnn Hess has been postponed until 1:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in Pinal County Superior Court.The hearing in Florence had been scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, but after a brief delay Judge Boyd Johnson set the new hearing date, giving the attorneys, who are new to the case, time to sort out matters involving a new judge presiding over the case and an inquiry from the media.In late June, Todd Hoke and Nicolas Castillo, who lived near Queen Creek, were arrested and charged with the death of the 17-year-old girl who also lived near Queen Creek.

Maricopa County Sheriff

Fire units battled a first-alarm fire on Tuesday evening in an east Mesa trash dump. More than 50 firefighters from Rural/Metro, Mesa and Gilbert responded to the Waste Management Transfer Station located at 19450 E. Warner Road, near Elliot and Power roads. An employee working outside of the building noticed smoke at 6 p.m. rising from the 10,000 square foot building and called the fire department.Rural/Metro fire officials described the fire as large and very hot. It burned for one hour. The buidling wasn’t damaged and there were no injuries. Officials said residual smoke and very wet soaked trash will be disposed of tomorrow.

The National Sheriff’s Association has awarded the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for its outstanding support of crime victims. The sheriff’s office received the National Crime Victim Services Award last week at the annual conference in Salt Lake City. In 2004, Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez established a Victim Services Unit and a Volunteer Services Program. About 20 volunteers work in the Victim Services Unit helping deputies and victims at crime scenes and hospitals. Members of the Volunteer Services Program go through a rigorous background check and training to become volunteer members of the sheriff’s office.

Two thieves pulled a gun on a Guadalupe woman Sunday afternoon as she sold corn from her front yard vegetable stand, said Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lindsey Smith.The robber duo stole $40, an ear of corn and a mango from the stand on the 8600 block of Calle Vanonawi street before speeding away at about 2 p.m. in a white Honda Accord.The victim notified the sheriff’s office, and soon patrol officers had tracked down the car. A foot chase ensued. Officers found the woman driver in the backyard of a home near Calle Mexico and Calle Tomi streets, close to where she’d abandoned her vehicle. But officers were unable to locate the gunman. They believe he may be hiding in a private residence in the area.Anyone with further information can call the sheriff’s office tip line at (602) 876-1087.