Category Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

Busy first week of May for Sheriff’s Department

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COCONINO COUNTY – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to an increased amount of calls for service the first weekend of May 2020. For the period of May 1st through the 3rd, 2020, Deputies responded to 661 calls for service. With the weather warming up, an increase in visitors and residents recreating outdoors was seen all over the county by the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to 584 total call for service during the previous weekend of April 24-26.

• Deputies responded to two attempted abductions of two young girls over the weekend, one in the Bellemont area and one in Kaibab Estates West. Both victims escaped and the Sheriff’s Office is still looking for the suspects.

• Deputies throughout the county responded to multiple reports of campfires and two reported wildfires.

• With a large portion of Lake Powell being closed, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Boat Patrol unit, which is based out of the Page area, patrolled Lake Mary over the weekend. The Boat Patrol was assisted by Sheriff’s Patrol Volunteers and AZ Game and Fish and spend Saturday and Sunday educating people on boating safety.

• Coconino Sheriff’s Search and Rescue teams responded to three search missions which occurred in Blue Ridge, on the San Francisco Peaks and in the Cinder Lakes recreation area. The search and rescue missions ranged from exhausted hikers, to missing hunters and overdue recreationists.

The chart below shows a comparison of some of the more common types of calls during the two weekends.

Attempted Abductions in Bellemont and Ash Fork Areas

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Flagstaff, AZ – On May 2 and 3, 2020, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to two different reports of abduction attempts on young females. One was in the residential area of Bellemont, west of Flagstaff off Interstate 40, and the second was in Kaibab Estates West, west of Williams, Arizona off Interstate 40.

The Bellemont incident occurred on May 2, 2020 around 6:00 pm in the area of Deer Springs and Greenfield. An unknown male subject approached and grabbed the victim, an 11-year-old girl. The suspect let the girl go when she screamed. The victim ran away from the suspect to her home and reported the incident. A Code Red was issued alerting community members. Multiple agencies responded to the area and conducted a search for the suspect but did not locate him. The suspect was described as a dark-complexioned male with long dark hair and a goatee. At the time of the Bellemont incident, he was wearing a black shirt. The suspect left on foot and there was no vehicle description.

The Kaibab Estates West incident occurred on May 3, 2020 around 2:00 pm near Hillside Dr. and Rincon Dr. The driver of a blue van offered a 15-year-old girl a ride. When she declined the ride and exited his vehicle, the suspect grabbed her by the arm and attempted to pull her into the vehicle. The 15-year-old fought back, striking the man in the face and was able to run to a nearby friend’s residence. A Code Red was issued alerting community members. Multiple agencies responded to the area and conducted a search for the suspect and vehicle, but neither were located. The suspect left the area in what the victim described as a blue minivan with a dent possibly in one of the doors. The suspect was described as a white male, 30 to 40 years of age, with short light-colored buzzed hair, slender and 5’10 to 6’ in height.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has information about either incident, anyone who may have seen person(s) or vehicles matching the descriptions, or anyone who may have seen something suspicious, please call the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at (928) 774-4523, option 1 or Coconino County Silent Witness at (928) 774-6111.

Arrest Made in Sasha Krause Homicide Case

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FLAGSTAFF – On April 21, 2020 around 9:20 am, Detectives from Coconino County Sheriff’s Office accompanied by Detectives from San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico served search warrants and arrested Mark Gooch at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, AZ for the homicide of Sasha Krause. Sasha Krause had been reported as a missing person from the Mennonite Community in Farmington, NM in January 2020. She was located deceased in Coconino County in February 2020.

Detectives with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, through their investigation, learned that during the time Sasha Krause went missing, Gooch had traveled from Luke Air Force Base, where he lives, to Farmington, New Mexico. Further investigation placed Gooch near Sunset Crater in Coconino County where Krause’s body was located.

Multiple state and federal agencies worked together on this investigation which led to the arrest of Gooch. Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll would like to thank San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari and his staff for their ongoing coordinated efforts in the investigation, the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab, Glendale Police Department, Office of Special Investigation Detachment 421, U.S. Air Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation is still on going, and no further information is available at this time.

Deputies arrest barricaded subject for Possession of Stolen Vehicle

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Tyler Littlefield – CCSO Booking Photo

FLAGSTAFF – On April 12, 2020 Deputies were called to the area of Burris Lane, for a report of a possible stolen dump truck. Upon arrival Deputies were told by the reporting party that the dump truck was stuck in the mud in the neighborhood near the East end of Burris Lane and it was occupied by one male subject.

Deputies located the dump truck and made verbal contact with the Driver. The Driver refused to follow commands or exit the vehicle. Deputies continued negotiations for approximately 1-hour until the suspect finally exited the vehicle and was then taken into custody without further incident.

The suspect had broken into a landscape company in Flagstaff where he stole a dump truck. The suspect then drove to Grey Mountain where he stole some merchandise from the convenience store. The suspect then drove back to the Flagstaff area.

While on the way back to Flagstaff the suspect was reportedly driving erratically. The vehicle drove through some driveways and yards in the area of Burris Lane, causing damage due to the deep mud.

Tyler Littlefield, a 27 year old Flagstaff resident, was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Jail for Theft of Means of Transportation, Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Damage (2 Counts) 2nd Degree Trespass, and Resisting Arrest.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Public, Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Flagstaff Police Department for their assistance during this incident. The incident remains under investigation and additional charges may be filed at a
later date.

Arrest made in Cavanaugh Homicide Case

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FLAGSTAFF – On February 28 and March 5, 2020, Shawn Eckard and Jason Eric Johnson were served warrants separately, reference the investigation of the homicide of Craig Cavanaugh.

Both men have been indicted in Navajo County for first degree murder of Craig Cavanaugh. Shawn Eckard is currently in the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections on unrelated charges, and Jason Eric Johnson is currently in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections on unrelated charges.

Both have been served warrants and are pending appearance in Navajo County. This investigation began for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office on July 17, 2019 when the Farmington New Mexico Police Department requested assistance with a missing person case that started on July 4. Craig Cavanaugh was reported missing after not returning to Farmington from a trip to Arizona.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives conducted follow up and a body was located in the woods outside of Heber, Arizona on August 5. This body was later identified by the Pima County Medical Examiner as Craig Cavanaugh. Since this discovery, Coconino County detectives investigating this case as a homicide developed leads and additional evidence that was presented to the Navajo County Attorney’s Office for charging and later presented to a grand jury.

Man Arrested on Multiple Charges Related to Shooting Incident in Kaibab Estates West

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Chad Anderson – CCSO Booking Photo

ASH FORK – On February 24, 2020 around 8:30 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting that a person fired shots at residences in the Kaibab Estates West community, which is west of Williams, AZ.

Several people had been gathered at a residence when a disagreement occurred between two individuals. Witnesses and victims advised that the suspect went to his vehicle where he obtained a handgun and fired multiple shots toward the home. He then left the scene and went to a nearby residence where he fired multiple rounds toward another home. Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office also responded to assist in locating and taking the suspect into custody.

Chad Anderson, 46-year-old resident of Kaibab Estates West, was taken into custody and booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility on charges including Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Endangerment, Assault Drive by Shooting, Prohibited (Weapons) Possessor, Disorderly Conduct with Firearm, and Criminal Damage.

No one was injured by the gunfire. The investigation is still on-going and no further information is available at this time.

Body Discovered by Camper Near Sunset Crater National Monument

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FLAGSTAFF – February 21st, at approximately 3:47 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an area off of Forest Service Road 545 North of Flagstaff along Highway 89, for the report of a possible dead body found by a camper.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from the Wupatki Ranger station, that an individual camping off Forest Service Road 545 had found what was believed to be a dead body near the individual’s camp. While deputies from the Flagstaff district were responding to the area, assistance was requested from National Park Service and Forest Service Officers who were in the area to help locate the area given by the camper and secure the scene.

Once on scene, deputies were able to locate and confirm a deceased female. Coconino County Criminal Investigations and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office were notified and responded to the area. Investigators worked through the night and into the next day before clearing the scene.

The victim was transported by the Medical Examiner’s Office to Flagstaff on Friday evening. The Medical Examiner’s Office will investigate to determine the identity of the deceased female. Due to the ongoing investigation, no further details are currently available. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance with this incident. Anyone who may have recently seen anything suspicious in the area of Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument is asked to contact Silent Witness at (928) 774-6111 or Coconino County Sheriff’s Detective Jones at (928) 226-5038, with any information to help solve this crime.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service for their assistance in this matter.

Sheriff’s Office Receives Grants from Governor’s Office of Highway Safety

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has received two grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to increase roadway safety and improve the accuracy and timeliness of traffic related data.

The first awarded grant is in the amount of $46,666 to purchase driver’s license scanners and in-car printers to be used with the Arizona Traffic and Criminal Software (AzTraCS). The Sheriff’s Office deputies currently hand write accident and traffic citation documents. Copies of the accident reports are sent to the state and entered into a database. ADOT receives an average of 600 papers reports a week. The reports are then scanned into a storage program and then entered into the State database.

The AzTraCS system is a mobile accident reporting software system, that can be used for electronic traffic citations, developing traffic accident reports and other report/forms. It allows the deputies to swipe driver’s licenses, complete the documents electronically and upload to the state. The AzTraCS system, driver’s license scanner and electronic transfer of information provides a more efficient use of Sheriff’s Office staff time. The documents have a higher accuracy and are completed quickly. AzTraCS will fully integrate to our Records Management System.

The only cost to agencies will be the equipment needed to operate and use the software. This includes scanners, printers and installation in Sheriff’s Office vehicles. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is providing funding through a grant to purchase the equipment needed. This project will provide faster, more accurate documents and a higher level of deputy safety.

The second grant awarded from GOHS will be used to purchase two radar speed trailers, in the amount of $20,000. The equipment will enhance our ability to address the problems of speed violators and traffic accident investigations.

The combination of large population of high school and college students, the high number of recreational visitors, and the availability of rural party areas contribute significantly to the number of traffic violations, driving under the influence, and accidents on our roadways. Speeding is one of the highest activity categories for our deputies. The radar message board trailers will provide educational sign messaging, as well as current speed of vehicles.

The goals of these projects funding by GOHS are to address critical roadway safety issues such as impaired driving, speed related crashes, and related injuries and fatalities.

Coconino SAR rescues injured skier on Fremont Peak

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FLAGSTAFF – On February 16th at approximately 6:10 PM the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call about an injured skier on the north side of Fremont Peak on a path known as Telemark. The 25-year-old male from Flagstaff had been skiing down the path and fell causing a shoulder injury which made impossible for him to continue to ski down. The group that he was with requested rescue and began to assist him down to the toe of the path where the terrain was less steep.

CCSO SAR rescue injured skier on north side of Fremont peak. – CCSO Photo

An Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter was requested to assist with the rescue, however due to the winds in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks and the location of the injured party, they were not able to land to conduct the rescue. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded to the area and were assisted by an ambulance crew from Guardian Medical Transport. The SAR team and the Guardian Medical crew drove the Sheriff’s Office snowcat to the Lockett Meadow campground in the Interior Valley.

The injured skier and his party were able to make it to the Inner Basin snow study cabins and waited there for rescuers. Due to the snow conditions in the area, the snowcat was not able to make it to the cabins, so a SAR team with the Guardian Medical crew hiked from the Lockett Meadow Campground to the cabins, which were approximately one and a half miles away. Upon arrival at the cabins at approximately 1:30 AM patient care was initiated by Guardian Medical and the SAR team prepared the patient for transport in a litter using a “hypothermia wrap” system to keep him warm and dry during the litter carry to the snowcat. The patient was loaded into the snowcat at approximately 3:30 AM and then transported down to the base of Lockett Meadow Road to be transferred to the ambulance for transport to the Flagstaff Medical Center.

This mission was another example of the close coordination and relationships between Northern Arizona emergency responders. The patient and his party were also well prepared and experienced in backcountry travel which allowed them to adequately manage the emergency until rescuers could arrive. Emergencies that occur in the wilderness areas require that the parties involved be able to manage the situation for an extended period of time as access is often difficult or time consuming. Being prepared for emergencies in the winter backcountry requires the proper clothing and equipment as well as experience using that equipment.

Person Injured by Gunshot in Westwood Ranches Area

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SELIGMAN – On January 30, 2020, at approximately 4:00 am, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies from the Flagstaff and Williams Districts responded to the Seligman area for a report of a subject being shot in the leg.

Sheriff’s Deputies along with Lifeline Ambulance responded to the Westwood Ranches Area north of Seligman to an address off of Pipeline Road. Deputies, while enroute to the residence, were advised through Flagstaff Dispatch that a 43-year-old male subject had reportedly, been accidently shot in the leg with a handgun and was currently being transported by a private vehicle to meet with Deputies and the medical personnel. Deputies and medical personnel with Lifeline Ambulance were able to make contact at the entrance to Westwood Ranches and Crookton Rd.

The victim was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center by Lifeline Ambulance. At this Time the incident under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators are at the scene where the shooting took place and will continue throughout the day.

No further details are available at this time. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses.