Mesa Police Department

Mesa Woman, 78, Drives Into Fabric Store, Runs Over Four People

A 78-year-old woman who thought she put her Toyota SUV into park outside a Mesa fabric store yesterday was incorrect, and ended up driving quite a distance into the store, hitting three people.

Cabbie Accused of Trading Rides for "Sexual Favors"; Believe it or Not, Cops Say No Takers

The Mesa Police Department says a taxi driver for Discount Cab Company offered to waive the fair for two women, in exchange for "sexual favors."Believe it or not, police say 43-year-old Eric Vincent didn't get any takers.

Mesa Cat-Mutilation Case Fell Apart Because Stolen Cat and Dead Cat Were Different Cats

The Mesa Police Department has explained why the cat-mutilation case involving Scott Graham -- who was previously accused of killing at least one cat in his neighborhood -- devolved into a case of cat theft.Mesa police Sergeant Tony Landato tells New Times investigators discovered that the cat stole ... More >>

DREAM Activist Erika Andiola Says Mom Was Racially-Profiled, Mesa PD Denies Claim

Video of a Mesa PD stop of Andiola's mom, recently posted to YouTube Well-known Arizona DREAM Activist Erika Andiola claims her mom was racially-profiled last night by the Mesa Police Department, resulting in the 54 year-old woman being arrested, cited and released after being stopped, allegedly f ... More >>

Were Eight Law Enforcement Agencies Necessary for Recovering Old Book of Mormon?

Yesterday, we informed you that it took eight law enforcement agencies to track down a guy who stole a first-edition book of Mormon.Jay Linford's been pegged by Mesa police as the guy who lifted the 182-year-old Book of Mormon from the Rare and Out of Print Books and Art store, and he was arrested ... More >>

If You Fatally Stabbed Ramon Medina-Gutierrez Friday Night, Mesa Police Would Like to Have a Word With You

​Police in Mesa have a problem: a man was fatally stabbed and authorities have no idea who did it.About 11:30 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call about a car that crashed into a home on East McLellan Road.The person who called 9-1-1 told dispatchers that the driver of the vehicle was still in ... More >>

No Criminal Charges For 7-Year-Old Who Fired Gun on School Bus. Parents Off the Hook, Too

​The Mesa Police Department tells New Times that no charges will be filed against a 7-year-old boy who accidentally fired a loaded gun on a school bus full of children last week -- and there's a reason: he's only friggin' seven!In case you missed it, the boy brought a loaded gun on a Mesa school b ... More >>

Botched Weed Robbery Leads to Shootout With Suspect Wearing a Gas Mask

​A man wearing a gas mask was involved in a shooting in Mesa early this morning during what appears to be a botched weed robbery.According to Mesa police, about 1 a.m. today, a Mesa cop made a traffic stop in the 600 block of South Mesa Drive. The driver, whose name is being withheld, forgot to tu ... More >>

Mesa Man Drives Kids Off 40-Foot Embankment. Son Dead; Drugs Suspected

​A 7-year-old boy is dead and a 5-year-old girl was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after their father drove the car they were in over a 40-foot embankment yesterday afternoon.According to the Mesa Police Department, the children's father, 42-year-old Bradley Patrick, may have been under ... More >>

Bath Salts Turning Mesa Criminals Into Super Criminals

www.projectnext.euTaking bath salts, it seems, is just like getting exposed to a "G-Bomb."​Bath salts, a designer drug that causes people to trip out, can apparently take average criminals and turn them into super-powered criminals with a penchant for violence.According to the Mesa Police Departme ... More >>

Erik Grumpelt's Girlfriend Admitted to Cheating on Him -- So He Murdered Her and Lived in Apartment With Corpse for Over Two Months

Mesa Police DepartmentErik Grumpelt lived with his girlfriend's dead body on the floor of his apartment for over two months.​Erik Grumpelt's girlfriend admitted to him that she'd had sex with other men on his bed. He then kneed her in her lower abdomen several times as the two were coincidentally ... More >>

Jesus Busso Estopellan Pleads Not Guilty to Murdering ASU Pre-Med Student and Friend Over Drug Deal With "Jamaican"

Mesa Police DepartmentJesus Busso Estopellan admitted to murdering an ASU student and his friend last month.​Jesus Busso Estopellan, who admitted murdering an Arizona State University student and his friend earlier this month, was in Maricopa County Superior Court this morning where he pleade ... More >>

Jesus Busso Estopellan Admits to Murdering Two ASU Students

Mesa Police Department Jesus Busso Estopellan​An arrest has been made in the murders of two Arizona State University students.Read about the murders of pre-med student Tyler Webster, 18, and 19-year-old Olek Wladyszewski here.Jesus Busso Estopellan was picked up yesterday after police disco ... More >>

Victims of Mesa Shootings Identified; Victim Tyler Webster Was Pre-Med Student at ASU

​The Mesa Police Department has identified the two victims in this morning's shootings, one of whom was a pre-med student at Arizona State University.The victims have been identified as 18-year-old Tyler Webster and 19-year-old Olek Wladyszewski.Webster's Facebook page lists him as a pre-med stude ... More >>

Hit and Run Driver Arrested. Victim's Leg Still M.I.A.

Mesa Police DepartmentJose Padilla-Rodriguez​Mesa police arrested a man they say is responsible for a fatal hit and run incident early Sunday morning, during which one of the victims' legs was severed.The leg, however, was not found at the scene.Police suspected the leg might have become attached ... More >>

Missing: One Human Leg Severed During Hit and Run Accident

www.costumehub.comMissing​A man is dead and his leg is now missing following a hit and run incident early yesterday morning.According to the Mesa Police Department, cops were called to the 400 block of West Broadway Raod about 2:30 a.m. yesterday after two men were reportedly hit by a car.The resp ... More >>

Teenage Serial Flasher on the Loose in Mesa. Last Seen Wearing Pink Cast

Mesa Police Department If you see this guy (or his penis) call Mesa police.​Steer clear of Mesa if you don't want to see the junk of a child -- a teenage serial flasher is on the loose.The Mesa Police Department says a kid between the ages of 14 and 18 has exposed himself to at least six wo ... More >>

Mesa Couple Arrested -- Which Often Happens After Firing Gun at Former Girlfriend

Mesa Police DepartmentCandace Wallace and Zachary Massie ​About 11 p.m. yesterday, a Mesa woman was asleep in her bed when she heard some rocks being thrown at her window. Curious, she went outside to see what was going on -- and that's when her ex-boyfriend -- accompanied by his new girlfriend -- ... More >>

Mesa Perv Videotaped Himself Molesting 1-Year-old -- and Others -- Cops Say

Mesa Police Department Being an alleged pederast aside, Brandon Jones' hair is about as cool as herpes.​A Mesa pervert already behind bars for sexually abusing a 5-year-old boy has been hit with several other charges for alleged crimes even more perverse than the ones that originally landed ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Son Joshua Arrested, in MCSO Custody

Josh, son of Russell, back in stirState Senate President Russell Pearce's son Joshua Trent Pearce was arrested February 9 by the Mesa Police Department on outstanding warrants issued by the Maricopa County Superior Court. Currently he's cooling his heels in Durango Jail.The thirty year-old unemploye ... More >>

Burglary Fail: Mesa Thief Arrested for Botched Burglary After Getaway Car Wouldn't Start

www.aaa.com​Sometimes you just don't have time to call AAA -- for example, if you're in the process of burglarizing a house, someone sees you, and your getaway car won't start -- which is exactly what happened to a pair of thieves in Mesa yesterday morning.According to the Mesa Police D ... More >>

Mesa Man, 81, In Critical Condition After Beating From Convict-Extraordinaire Roommate

Mesa Police DepartmentHenry Eric Young, accused of beating an 81-year-old man into critical condition​After being offered a place to live by an elderly Mesa man, 41-year-old Henry Eric Young decided to show his gratitude by allegedly beating the man into critical condition. Police say they found ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Problem with the Rule of Law; and Andrei Cherny Contends for Democratic Party Chair

Russell Pearce's Son Joshua Pearce: Mesa Police Will Not File Charges in Child Abuse Allegations

Joshua Trent Pearce, in an MCSO mug shot from a 2006 DUI arrest State Senate President-elect Russell Pearce's son Joshua Trent Pearce was recently under investigation by the Mesa Police Department for allegations of possible child abuse.Mesa PD spokesman Sgt. Ed Wessing confirmed that police respond ... More >>

Auto Theft Suspect Holds Mesa Family Hostage Before Evading Police

www.icanhazcheezburger.com​The Mesa Police Department is looking for a man it says held a family hostage for about an hour and a half this morning before sneaking away from the scene as police closed in.The suspect, a black guy with dreadlocks, was stopped by police prior to the hostage situation ... More >>

Good News: Wendell Workman Found Alive and Well

Mesa PDWendell Workman's been found -- and he's OK.​The search for missing senior Wendell Workman has been suspended for a good reason: he was found alive and well early this morning.Workman, 71, was reported missing yesterday. The last time he was seen was about 5 a.m., when his son, who was taki ... More >>

Missing Old Person Alert: 71-Year-Old Wendell Workman

Mesa PDThis is 71-year-old Wendell Workman. If you've seen him, call police.​The Mesa Police Department is asking for the public's help in tracking down a 71-year-old man reported missing this morning.Wendell Lee Workman's son had been taking care of him at his Mesa home in the 500 block of West D ... More >>

Latest Suicidal Man Shot by Mesa PD Identified

​The second suicidal man shot by officers from the Mesa Police Department in less than a week has been identified.The deceased is 59-year-old Douglas Watson.Unlike the shooting of a domestic violence suspect by a Phoenix police officer earlier this week, it seems the Mesa officer were justified in ... More >>

Mesa Cops Need Help Identifying Bicyclist Hit by Two Impaired Drivers

If you know someone who looks like this guy, and you haven't heard from him since at least Saturday, call the cops.​On Monday, we told you about a bicyclist hit by two impaired drivers in Mesa on Saturday night. Today, cops need help figuring out who he is.The unidentified bicyclist was riding a y ... More >>

Bicyclist Hit by Drunk Driver -- Right Before Being Hit By Driver Hopped Up on Pharmies

www.appraisalnewsonline.com​We're beginning to wonder if anyone driving in Mesa on Saturday night wasn't fucked up in one way or another.An unidentified man, who police say may have been drunk, was hit by not one, but two impaired drivers as he rode his bike in the 1600 block of South Higley Road ... More >>

Mesa Police Need Help Finding Missing Mentally Ill Man

Mesa PD Carlos Polanco​The Mesa Police Department needs the public's help in tracking down a missing man with mental-health problems.Mesa Police Detective Steve Berry tells New Times that 42-year-old Carlos Polanco was dropped off by his sister at his doctor's office on Monday morning. When ... More >>

Bank Robber on the Loose After Mesa Robbery

Phoenix Police Department Do you know this guy? If you do, he robbed a bank and you should probably call police.​Police are asking the public's help in tracking down the man who robbed a bank in Mesa on Friday. In a press release from the Phoenix Police Department (not sure why it didn't c ... More >>

No Charges Filed In Mesa Doc Sexual Abuse Case

Dr. Gabriel Ogbonnaya will not be charged with sexual abuse.​After dragging a physician's name through the mud with accusations that he sexually abused two of his patients, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has opted against filing charges against Dr. Gabriel Ogbonnaya, his law ... More >>

Mesa Doc's Lawyer Continues to Criticize Police Investigation in Sex-Abuse Case

Dr. Gabriel Ogbonnaya​ The attorney for Dr. Gabriel Ogbonnaya, the Mesa physician arrested last week and accused of sexually abusing two female patients, continues to attack the investigation conducted by the Mesa Police Department before Ogbonnaya's arrest. Ogbonnaya was arrested last Wedn ... More >>

The Underground Opens for Business. Will the Nile Theater Soon Do the Same?

Jonathan McNamara A crowd gathers outside the alleyway entrance of the Underground during its soft opening.​By all accounts, the soft opening of the Underground this past weekend was a big success. According to Erin Peters of the Mantooth Group, more than 160 people turned out on Frid ... More >>

Hot Links: The Mondrian, Anthem's Tree, and Steak Assault

​The opulent Mondrian resort in Scottsdale is facing foreclosure, after the owners failed to restructure $40 million in delinquent loans. The hotel, one of a dozen owned by New York-based Morgan Hotel Group, remains open for now, but a notice of trustee's sale was filed this week, with an init ... More >>

Hot Links: Stranded Hunters, "Fall Freeze," and HealthNet

​A group of 25 to 30 hunters are believed to be stranded in northern Arizona after a winter storm. A Coconino County Sheriff's Office spokesman says there are eight hunting groups, some including children, with whom they're trying to communicate. Some hunters have been reached via cell phone, but ... More >>

Crime in Mesa Drops Considerably; And Just Last Week Mesa PD Said It Couldn't Enforce DUI Laws

www.theblueline.com​The Mesa Police Department announced Wednesday that the city has seen the greatest reduction in crime since 1963. According to police, among other declines, there has been a 39 percent drop in auto theft and 31 percent decrease in homicides.

Mesa Police: Budget Cuts Letting Drunk Drivers Off the Hook

www.ns-knt.com​As always, we would never encourage anyone to drive drunk under any circumstance -- especially in this county -- but if you do and your drunk route home doesn't run through Mesa, maybe it should. Mesa Police Sergeant Fabian Cota says budget cuts and processing time in t ... More >>

Father's Day Horror: Man Kills Himself and Daughter in Apparent Murder Suicide

It's been a particularly bloody few days for Valley children. Loggan Lampert, 14, is bludgeoned to death by his uncle. A 2-year-old beaten with a belt buckle, allegedly by her mom's boyfriend, dies. Another 2-year-old dies after being hit by a car in his trailer park. And now this: A Valley father ... More >>

Stripper Mom's Kids Weren't Seen Eating Dog Food, Cops Say; Kids Safe With One of Fathers

Don't you hate when the facts get in the way of a good story? Turns out the Mesa stripper's kid didn't eat dog food, after all, Mesa police say today. At least, no one actually saw the kid dog food. Detective Michael Melendez says that the dog-food-eating part of the story came about due to notes a ... More >>

Hot Links: Pastor Tasered, Jewish Site Vandalized, and Frogs

The governing board of the Gilbert Unified School District approved an increase in athletic fees for Gilbert high schools Tuesday night. Parents will now pay almost double for their kids to participate in sports -- up to $100 per sport from the current fee of $55...A Valley pastor named Steve Anders ... More >>

Cops Host Fundraiser for Family of Mesa Baby Killed by Dog

If you're in Mesa today and looking for something to eat, why not stop by a fundraiser for a police family suffering a tragedy?Mesa cops and members of the Fraternal Order of Police will be hosting an event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the FOP Mesa Lodge 9, 1452 E. Main Street, to benefit Marcus ... More >>

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, October 4, 2007

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, July 27, 2006

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, July 20, 2006

This Week's Day-by-day Picks

War of the Words

With big dollars at stake, rival newspapers duke it out to capture Valley's rapidly growing Hispanic market

A Band in Bondage

Postshow arrest leaves Eroticide feeling down and out in Mesa

SEX SECRETS AT THE COP SHOP MESA POLICE BALK AT RELEASING REPORT ON LATEST SCANDAL