Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe filed a $4.75 million claim against the county for alleged abuse of power by former County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. As our post about Thomas and Donahoe from yesterday explained, the abuse appears to be quite real. Donahoe was…
Police are looking for a man they say robbed a Country Bank in Prescott Valley yesterday afternoon by basically walking into the bank and asking for cash.The FBI’s bandit-naming department hasn’t dreamed up some crappy “bandit” moniker for this guy yet — we checked. But the “I-can’t-believe-it’s-that-easy bandit” has a…
Phoenix police this afternoon arrested a woman they believe is responsible for stealing an 80-year-old woman’s wedding ring off her finger on Sunday, after the victim generously offered to give the suspect money to buy gas.Phoenix police Officer Luis Samudio tells New Times that 28-year-old Jenny White was arrested about noon today for the…
Drugs and immigrants get most of the ink when it comes to Arizona’s criminal exports, but an Arizona man, who police in a small town in Wyoming believe murdered one guy and nearly murdered another, is dominating the news in Diamondville, Wyoming, these days.Police in Diamondville tell New Times that…
Phoenix police are looking for a teenage girl whom they say stole an elderly Phoenix woman’s wedding ring after meeting her at a grocery store on Sunday afternoon, after the woman offered to buy the suspect gas.About 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, the 80-year-old victim was in the shampoo aisle of…
Tucson police announced last night that they arrested a teacher at a Tucson high school for allegedly having sex with one of her male students. Police say 25-year-old Christie Elliot, an English teacher and cheerleading coach at Empire High School, had an inappropriate, sexual relationship with a minor student at the…
Saying that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas illegally searched their offices and otherwise targeted them in an attempt to “retaliate against and humiliate” County Supervisor Don Stapley, East Valley developer Conley Wolfswinkel and his sons have filed a notice of claim with the county.The…
Last week, a biologist working for the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project admitted that, in February 2009, he illegally placed a jaguar scat in the Atascosa Mountains near Ruby and directed a woman to place jaguar scats at sites that were authorized to snare only mountain lions and bears. Those scats led…
The man who captured an endangered jaguar, whose controversial death sparked outrage from animal-rights groups, pleaded guilty in federal court today to prohibited “take” of an animal.Emil McCain, a biologist working for the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, admitted that in February of 2009 he had illegally placed a jaguar scat…
Will the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors “contempt hearing” planned for May 24 really be the first step in the jailing of Sheriff Joe Arpaio? It’s hard to imagine that scenario will actually occur, but heck, the Arizona Republic says it might happen. Forget the possibility of a federal indictment…
An “upscale companion escort” beat a valet with her high-heeled shoe on Monday night at the Valley Ho in Scottsdale, leaving the man bloody and shaken, police said. Just after 10 p.m., Jennifer Thomas, 26, exited the lobby of the hotel at 6850 East Main Street, rambling to herself and screaming at…
Two Phoenix women invited a 14-year-old runaway to stay in their apartment, then tried to force the girl into prostitution, police say. After she was rescued on Sunday, the girl told police that the women had made her sleep in a closet. Savoya Mansfield, 18, and Mattique Johnson, 19, both arrested on suspicion of kidnapping…
The Peoria Police Department — like most cop shops — doesn’t want people driving drunk on Memorial Day, but if you’re hammered and dumb enough to hop behind the wheel of a car, the Peoria fuzz is being kind enough to tell you exactly where they’re gonna be.On Monday, May 31,…
Saying their request for information is “burdensome, overly broad, and intended to harass,” the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told the Board of Supervisors today that it will not comply with a subpoena demanding financial records. The supervisors have been demanding the information since March — resorting to a subpoena two…
In October 2007, New Times reporter Ray Stern was cited with a criminal charge for supposedly raising his voice while in the office of a lawyer working for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — and no one would say, even under oath, who’d actually decided on charging him with the…
The Arizona Department of Health Services today issued a warning for Arizona residents over an influx in rabies cases seen around the state, and the usual suspects are once again bats and bobcats.According to the ADHS, there were three bobcat attacks in Arizona in April alone, and in each case, the…
The Phoenix Police Department is asking the public’s help in tracking down victims of a pair of thieves, who police say targeted elderly victims across the Valley.Last month, police arrested 30-year-old George Gregg and 60-year-old David Gregg on several charges of theft and burglary, after the pair allegedly targeted old…
Arizona has had its share of letdowns over the past few weeks and now — on top of all the embarrassing shit the state Legislature’s been up to — it appears that one of Arizona’s architectural wonders, the Hover Dam, has been outdone by a bunch of beavers.This week, experts…
The Avondale Police Department — after a two week investigation — arrested the director of the Aqua Fria High School’s special-education program after a 15-year-old student with special needs told her mother that he raped and threatened her.Brian Willner, 35, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of sexual abuse and assault, after…
The Chandler Police Department is asking the public’s help in locating two men believed to be involved in the shooting of a Chandler man early yesterday morning.Chandler Police Detective Frank Mendoza tells New Times that at around 1:30 a.m. yesterday, a man called police to report that someone was trying…
Here’s a phrase designed to strike fear into the hearts of rational Arizonans of every political stripe: “Meet your law enforcement team.” As in, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has a new bestie! We’ve repeatedly argued that the biggest problem with Andrew Thomas’ tenure as county attorney was that he saw himself…
Bill Montgomery, the candidate for Maricopa County Attorney backed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, strongly questions Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s mental fitness and leadership ability in a secret tape made by county officials. New Times broke part of this story yesterday based on second-hand comments from the county official who made the recording, Don…
