Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Names of victims of double homicide released

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WILLIAMS – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office released what most people in Williams, sadly, already knew. The victims have been identified as the home owners, 67-year-old Michael Dimuria and his 64-year-old wife Nora Dimuria.

The investigation of a double homicide in Red Lake north of Williams is continuing. Sheriff’s detectives as well as a team from the Arizona Department of Public Safety comprised of investigators and crime scene technicians are on their second day of processing the scene. No other details are being release at this time.

The couples white 2006 Jeep Liberty 4 door bearing Arizona license plate of 123-VDL is missing from the home. The Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to be on the lookout for this vehicle and to contact law enforcement immediately if they see the vehicle.

Sheriff’s Office Investigates Double Homicide

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WILLIAMS – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a double homicide in the Red Lake Community located 8 miles north of Williams AZ.

On Tuesday, May 2nd, at approximately 9:00 am the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a neighbor of the victims reporting he had found his neighbor dead. Sheriff’s Deputies from the Williams District responded to the location and upon further investigation in the residence found two deceased adults, one male and one female who had resided at the home. The Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Unit out of Flagstaff was contacted and responded to the location.

We are asking for the public’s help in attempting to locate the couple’s vehicle missing from the home. We are looking for a 2 door, 2006 Jeep Liberty white in color, bearing AZ plate 123-VDL.

Stranded hiker rescued near Page

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BITTER SPRINGS – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and DPS Air Rescue helicopter rescued a lone stranded female hiker from cliffs east of Bitter Springs.

On Sunday April 30th, at approximately 4:30 pm Coconino county Sheriff’s Office received a request for a rescue in the Bitter Springs Area. The hiker, an adult Female from Page, Arizona had been hiking alone on a back-country route of Echo Peak when she went off trail and became stuck on a cliff.

The Stranded Female called in to the National Park Service requesting help. The area was outside of the National Park, so Park Service contacted the Sheriff’s office. Sheriff’s Deputies from Page, AZ responded to the area. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue responded from Flagstaff. The Sheriff’ s office also requested assistance from Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter from Flagstaff.

The DPS helicopter and a Search and Rescue Short Haul Technician, were able to successfully rescue the female from the cliff face shortly before dark. the female did not require any medical attention and was transported back to her vehicle by Sheriff’s Deputies.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Leads Multi-Agency Response to Two Separate Rescues

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and its Search and Rescue Unit coordinated two rescues yesterday afternoon. Both individuals needing rescuing were transported by ground ambulance for further medical treatment, neither had life-threatening injuries.

The 70 year-old woman rescued from West Clear Creek was a Sedona, AZ resident on a day hike. Special thanks to the USFS which had an engine crew and hot shot crew in the area as well as the Blue Ridge Fire Department for their assistance with the rescue. Downed trees across the trail needed to be removed to assist with carrying out of the woman. She was the transported by ground ambulance to Flagstaff Medical Center for further medical treatment.

The young man injured during a fall near Water Holes Canyon was an 18 year-old Page, AZ resident. The subject had injuries to his upper body and was unable to climb out. The Sheriff’s Office is thankful for the assistance from National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Page Fire Department personnel helped the injured subject to an alternate exit route. He was transported by ground ambulance to the Page Hospital for further medical treatment.

Coconino Sheriff’s Office Leads Multi-Agency Response to Two Separate Rescues

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FLAGSTAFF – At approximately 1:20 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a 70 year-old female with a broken ankle in West Clear Creek near the Maxwell Trailhead which located approximately 55 miles south of Flagstaff. Members of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit are currently responding and conducting a coordinated rescue effort assisted by hotshot crew personnel from the Coconino National Forest and Blue Ridge Fire Department.

Also occurring at this time, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Search and Rescue Unit are responding to a report of a male subject injured from what was reported to be an approximate 30 foot fall. The subject fell while climbing near Water Holes Canyon which is southwest of Page. This call came in at approximately 3:40 pm.

Maricopa police train using home acquired for SR 347 project

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MARICOPA – While Lt. Mike Campbell hopes Maricopa Police Department officers never need to enter a home to remove a barricaded suspect, a partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation has helped them prepare, just in case.

With ADOT preparing to build a bridge carrying State Route 347 over the Union Pacific Railroad, officers have been able to train twice in a house acquired on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. The home eventually will be demolished to make way for a new alignment of Plainview Street that will connect Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway to Honeycutt Road and SR 347.

Campbell said the partnership ensures that the department’s Special Response Team has the opportunity to train for potentially life-or-death situations. That included practicing how to enter a home with a dangerous suspect inside, breaking down doors and methodically working their way through the building.

“There are very few opportunities for us to train for these rare but dangerous situations,” Campbell said. “Every time our officers can experience the challenges that come with entering a building in a hostile situation means we can do a better job if this kind of situation arises. This makes our officers better at their jobs and it makes Maricopa a safer place for our residents.”

ADOT has a 25-year tradition of working with first responders to provide real-world training opportunities in the controlled environment of vacant buildings. Training collaborations like the one that took place this month in Maricopa date back to construction of State Route 51 in the early 1990s.

Just last summer, ADOT-acquired properties along the route of the South Mountain Freeway were used to train fire and law enforcement officers from more than a dozen agencies. That included SWAT teams using homes to practice responding to hostage situations and the Phoenix Fire Department, which trained 48 ladder companies and scores of new recruits.

ADOT works side-by-side with emergency responders every day, said Brian Rockwell, ADOT assistant chief right of way agent.

“Police officers willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect all of us in dangerous situations,” Rockwell said. “When we have the opportunity to help them train, as we did here, we’re not only happy to do that but we consider it part of our service to the community.”

Construction of the SR 347 bridge begins this fall. The two-year, $55 million project will carry traffic over the railroad tracks on a path just east of the current SR 347. It will alleviate congestion on a road that is expected to see traffic double to more than 60,000 vehicles a day by 2040 and save drivers the time of waiting for trains to cross the highway. The area now sees 40-60 trains a day, a number that is expected to reach 100 daily in the next 20 years.

Freeman no longer a free man

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WILLIAMS – All three suspects who fled police this morning are now in custody.

At approximately 10:45 AM, a Yavapai County Sheriff K9 attempted to stop a maroon 4 door sedan for a traffic violation east I-40 in the Ash Fork area. As the vehicle failed to yield, a male passenger appeared to be thrown from the vehicle and was detained.
The k9 unit pursued the vehicle at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The vehicle apparently became disabled and pulled off at milepost 165 near the Bearizona attraction and crashed into a culvert.

One of the remaining two suspects was apprehended almost immediately at the ADOT yard on Route 66 near the Bearizona Wild Life park. The suspect identified as John Dale Freeman fired shots at deputies and fled beginning a six-hour manhunt with units of the Yavapai County and Coconino County Sheriff’s Departments, the Williams Police Department and the Department of Public Safety including the DPS helicopter. The Arizona Department of Transportation also assisted and Kaibab Forest Rangers may have also participated. None of the search party were injured in the event.

Arizona DPS helicopter flies over Williams searching for suspect.


Schools in Williams were locked down as was Bearizona. Guests of Bearizona were gathered in the Gift Shop and Restaurant area for a couple of hours. They were eventually allowed to evacuate the park. Parents of Williams were required to pick up their kids from schools early and kids in outlying areas were bused home at the regular time.

Freeman in custody.


Various reports of sightings of Freeman occurred in Williams with none being confirmed. The search continued in the forested areas around Bearizona until about 3:30 p.m. when Freeman was reported captured outside of Bearizona. The other two suspects have not yet been identified.

Freeman turns from camera while in police vehicle.


Citizens around Williams reported recognizing Freeman as frequenting the Williams area. Others in Flagstaff reported on the Facebook page of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department that they recognized him around Flagstaff. Freeman may have lived in Williams according to some accounts. Our research shows that Freeman may have a criminal past.

High speed chase ends in crash and manhunt in Williams

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WILLIAMS – A chase by Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputies which began in Ash Fork ended in a crash at exit 165 in Williams at about 11. It appears there were three suspects, one was injured in the crash and one was apprehended at the ADOT yard on Route 66. A manhunt is in effect for one suspect, considered armed and dangerous.

Williams schools are currently on lock-down. Bearizona was on lock-down, but it appears they are allowing traffic out of the wild life park, but traffic is still being re-routed on Route 66. Traffic on I-40 still appears to be moving.

Details are not known about the cause of the chase or what the suspects were wanted for. There were gunshots fired, but there are no reports of injuries at this time.

Units from the Williams Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s office and the Department of Public Safety are participating in the search.

Flagstaff man indicted for sexual assault

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Sheriff’s Office served 62-year-old Fernandez Tapia with a Grand Jury Indictment on charges related to sexual assault of a vulnerable adult female.

On February 10, 2017 Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man who had been seen inappropriately touching a vulnerable female adult. Several witnesses observed the incident identifying Tapia.

The case was forwarded to Grand Jury which on March 16, 2017 issued an indictment for 13-3623(B)1 Child or Vulnerable adult abuse, a class 4 felony, 13-1404 Sexual abuse

According to the Grand Jury indictment, Tapia must report to the Coconino County Detention Facility for fingerprinting prior to his court date. The case is scheduled to be heard in Coconino County Superior Court, Div. 2, on March 27th, 2017.

Rescue of Hikers in Waterholes Canyon

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PAGE – On March 12, 2017 at approximately 8:45 PM the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and its Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of two overdue hikers in Waterholes Canyon south of Page, AZ. Two male hikers who began their hike into the canyon at approximately 12:00 PM failed to return to their car as expected. Deputies, with the assistance of a Classic Lifeguard helicopter from Page found the hikers in the canyon between two different rappels. The hikers were stranded and were unable to move up or down canyon. They were ill equipped for their hike and did not have adequate clothing, food, or water.

Search and Rescue teams arrived at approximately 12:30 AM and hiked to the rim above the hikers. A supply kit containing warm clothing, food, water, bivouac sack, hot packs, and a radio was lowered to the hikers. It was confirmed by radio conversation that the hikers were not injured but were stranded. Due to onset of darkness and the risk of a nighttime rescue operation, it was determined that further rescue would wait until daylight. Search and Rescue personnel bivouacked on the rim above the hikers location until daylight.

At daylight the Search and Rescue team established artificial anchors and lowered a rescuer to the hikers’ location. One at a time the hikers were raised to the rim of the canyon using a mechanical advantage rope system. Once at the top of the rim the hikers were evaluated; both refused additional medical care. They were then reunited with the rest of their party.

Later that same day, our deputies in Page, AZ assisted Navajo Police Department in rescuing a teenage girl who had been climbing near the same area.

The Search and Rescue Unit would like to remind hikers entering northern Arizona canyons to be aware of their surroundings and take the appropriate equipment and clothing for the trip. Some canyons require down climbing or rappelling and hikers should be prepared to ascend sections that they have previously descended. While the temperatures during the day may be warm, once the sun sets, the canyon environment can become cold rapidly. Weather should always be evaluated when entering a canyon. Rain upstream from also can cause dangerous flash flooding in canyons.