Maricopa County Manager David Smith announced today that he’ll retire on April 27 after 17 years on the job. Smith, 65, was at the helm during countless storms, guiding the county through severe fiscal crises and years of emotional legal battles with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew…
Henry Eric Young — who beat an 81-year-old man into critical condition in Mesa last year — was sentenced to 21 years in prison.Young, now 42, beat 81-year-old Gene Fitzsimmons so badly that he could only respond with moans to police when they found him bruised and bloodied in his…
See the latest update on the police hunt for Juan Garcia. Phoenix police are looking for 18-year-old Juan Garcia, who allegedly went over to his girlfriend’s house on Friday night, beat her 2-year-old son to death, and left.The boy’s 18-year-old mother, Wendy Rogel-Pagas, was jailed on Saturday, after telling police…
Michael Crane — who’s facing first-degree murder charges for the deaths of Paradise Valley couple Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro, as well as Phoenix man Bruce Gaudet — made it to his arraignment today without causing a scene.Crane was scheduled to be in court on Tuesday his arraignment, but court officials…
A bank-robbery suspect the FBI’s calling the “Bearded Bandit” has struck again, as has the FBI’s bank-robber-naming department.The “Bearded Bandit” may have robbed five Valley banks, but whether he actually has a beard is up for debate.According to the FBI — and the pictures it has provided — there’s definitely…
Ammandea Stoltzmann, a cousin of Ame Deal — the 10-year-old girl who died after her family members admittedly stuffed the girl in a footlocker for taking a Popsicle — has now become the fifth member of the family arrested for horrifically abusing the girl before her death.Read the tragic detail’s…
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), but a Valley teacher is accused with having sex with a student.In fact, with 23-year-old Andrew Islas — a Tempe High School assistant band director — being arrested yesterday after admitting to sexing…
Nogales charter school teacher Ricardo Siqueiros took a ride on Interstate 10 toward Phoenix Tuesday evening.According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, he took his 19.5 pounds of meth and 12 pounds of cocaine along for the ride.Siqueiros, 32, was stopped by the cops around 7 p.m. while driving…
Specifically, Babeu claims that Jose Orozco stole his identity and hacked into the sheriff’s web accounts — accounts that Babeu had asked his longtime flame to maintain. Indeed, A.D. Horan, an attorney representing Orozco, said his client was a campaign volunteer and an “authorized administrator who … created and maintained websites for…
It looks like Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu — along with allegations that he abused his power — is headed for the PITs, a state Public Integrity Task Force, that is. Read all about those allegations in New Times’ feature story. New Times has learned that Pinal County Attorney Jim…
Michael Crane — who’s facing first-degree murder charges for the deaths of Paradise Valley couple Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro, as well as Phoenix man Bruce Gaudet — “refused” to be transported to his court date today, according to a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesman.Crane was scheduled to be in court…
For a 32-year-old man, following around a random 14-year-old girl and running away after grabbing her butt is pretty creepy. Finding out where the girl lives and showing up at her apartment on Valentine’s Day takes it to a whole new level.According to court documents obtained by New Times, Octavio…
Yusra Farhan — the Phoenix mother who cited “Iraqi culture” as the reason for alleged assaults on her daughter — said at her initial court appearance yesterday that she was disciplining her daughter “like any parent would.”Most parents haven’t been arrested twice in the past week for tying their children…
In 2009, Haider Abdullah was busted by one of his sister’s buddies dancing at a Phoenix bar and throwing dollar bills at strippers.After that information was relayed to his sister and her husband, Abdullah’s sister gave him a talk about how dancing and strippers “were contrary to their Muslim culture.”Abdullah…
Yusra Farhan, the woman who police say beat her daughter with a shoe and tied her to a bed because she was seeing a boy — and cited “Iraqi culture” as the reason for it — was arrested again yesterday.This time, her husband and another daughter were also arrested on…
A grand jury indicted the six suspects arrested in connection with both the murder of Paradise Valley couple Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro, as well as Bruce Gaudet’s murder in Phoenix last month.Michael Crane was charged with the first-degree murder of the Schapiros, as well as Gaudet.That grand jury also indicted…
The trial began today for Christopher Carlson, who’s accused of forcing his three grandkids — ages 8, 9, and 12 — to go on Grand Canyon hikes from hell last summer, and generally abusing the boys along the way.On a pair of 100-degree-plus days at the Grand Canyon, park rangers…
Retired Colonel James Burnes pleaded guilty today to two felonies related to thefts totaling $2 million — from charities. Military charities.According to a court spokesperson, Burnes entered a guilty plea for two of the initial eight charges for stealing the money that was supposed to go to military families.Instead, Burnes…
A rodeo carnival worker was arrested on Sunday in Texas by the U.S. Marshals Service in connection with a January 7 abduction and rape of his Tucson girlfriend.Glen Leo Gagnon, 52, was taken into custody without a fuss at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo carnival on Sunday. Gagnon’s…
If it’s any consolation, parents of little girls in alleged kiddi-porn connoisseur/fourth grade teacher Thomas Warner’s class can rest a little easier — apparently, he’s only into little boys. Warner, a 54-year-old teacher at North Ranch Elementary in Scottsdale — who’s worked in the Paradise Valley School District for more…
Marion Patterson III, one of two men charged with murdering Arizona State University student Zachary Marco in October 2010, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, according to a Maricopa County court spokesperson.Marco was 21 years old when he was gunned down after refusing to give up his belongings in a…
According to Thomas Warner, he’s been an elementary school teacher in the Paradise Valley School District for 11 years.According to the Phoenix Police Department, he’s also a kiddie-porn collector.Warner, 54, was arrested this morning after Phoenix cops from the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant…
