Hammer-Throwing Man Stalks Street, Threatens Family and Police

If Jose Arnulfo Leyva had a hammer, he'd hammer in the evening -- on your car, or possibly you.

So say police, anyway.

Cops say Leyva, 28, did have a hammer last night just after 10 p.m. when he stalked a Mesa street, "stepping out in front of cars" as he held it, says a police write-up of the incident.

That sort of Jackass stunt sounds like a self-correcting problem. But instead of getting run over, Leyva continued to frighten people near the 300 block of South Doran, according to Mesa police. A group of teens in a car pulled up and he threatened them with the hammer as they made their way to an apartment.

A woman in the apartment complex yelled at Leyva that she'd call police. Leyva responded that he'd throw the hammer, and began lifting up his shirt, "saying he was going to come back and shoot everyone."

Police didn't say if Leyva also had a gun. Two of Leyva's friends suddenly showed up at the scene and threatened the woman and her family, cops say.

An unmarked police car arrived -- Leyva reportedly threw his hammer at it. All of the suspects took off running but were soon caught after police gave chase.

Once the construction industry picks up, these hammers can go back to honest work.