Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Coconino Sheriff’s seek missing person

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trudy-lawsonFLAGSTAFF—The Coconino County Sheriff’s office is seeking information on 51-year-old Trudy Fay Lawson missing since Saturday.

Trudy was last seen at around 10 am on the 18th at her home in the Doney Park area. She made two phone calls about 2 pm in which she indicated that she might be traveling to Phoenix. She may be driving a gray 2004 GMC Yukon with Arizona plates 576KWX.

She has not been in contact with family members since the last phone call and family and friends are worried about her welfare.

Trudy is 5′ 3″, about 140 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information should call the Coconino County Sheriff at 928-774-4523 or 1-800-338-7888. You can also call Silent Witness at 928-774-6111 or local police.

Homeland Security secretary to visit Arizona border

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Jeh_Johnson_official_DHS_portrait TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be visiting border operations in Arizona this week.

Jeh Johnson is expected to visit Douglas and Tucson on Wednesday.

According to his office, he will receive briefings on efforts to secure the border at the Tucson Sector headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Johnson will also meet with state and local law enforcement officials.

Arizona is one stop on a trip that will also include a visit to McAllen, Texas, on Tuesday.

Gun bills in the Arizona Legislature.

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Gun-and-GavelThe legislative session began on the 13th and all bills must be submitted by February 10th. The Arizona Citizens Defense League has compiled a listing of gun bills currently in the legislative process.

Many are simply technical corrections to the language of the law.

HB 2103 would amend ARS 13-3112 to allow current military and veterans from age 19 on to obtain a concealed weapons permit in Arizona.

It changes section E. 1. to read, “2. Is twenty‑one years of age or older or is at least nineteen years of age and provides evidence of current military service or proof of honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions from the United States armed forces, United States armed forces reserve or a state national guard.”

The bill is introduced by Representatives Townsend, Borrelli, Kwasman, Livingston, Mitchell, Petersen, Seel, Smith, Thorpe: Barton, Cardenas, Lovas, Shope

HB 2127—introduced by Representatives Pratt, Gowan, Shope and Senators Griffin, Pierce and McGuire—after some technical corrections would eliminate Section D. which would eliminate the restriction of game guides to a revolver or pistol. This would allow them to carry long guns.

HB 2132 was submitted by Representative Quezada would allow persons to automatically be restored the right to vote after the end of their probation or their absolute discharge from prison. Filing for the restoration of the right to bear arms does not change.

HB 2133 would amend Title 38 adding 38-202. This would require anyone applying for a peace officer position to provide proof of United States citizenship and would prevent a public officer from providing an application for that position to anyone who cannot prove United States citizenship.

This is obviously meant to prevent past discrepancies such as the Carmen Figueroa case. She did not realize that she was an illegal alien and may not have been required to carry a firearm. This is probably why she slipped through the system. Most people, however, are required to prove citizenship to purchase a firearm through the federal system.

SB1063 would require any public establishment or even to provide sutiable, secure storage facilities in compliance with 13-3102.01 if they do not allow firearms into their facility or event. This technical correction would allow gun owners to ignore the warning placards if the facility does not provide secure storage.

SB1064. The AZCDL assessment of this bill is:

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Under the expanding gas language in ARS 13-105.19, an air-operated pistol or rifle can be considered a firearm. This differs with ARS 13-3101.4, which uses action of an explosive to define a firearm. By having two definitions, law enforcement can cherry-pick the statute they want to apply.

Sheriff’s office seek person for questioning in Oak Creek sexual assault.

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oak-creek-suspectThe Coconino County Sheriff’s department has issued a flyer of a person wanted for questioning in a sexual assault incident in Oak Creek on January 8.

The sexual assault allegedly took place on the Canyon Day use area side of south highway 89A on January 8 at approximately 9:30 am.

The person wanted is a male mid to late forties, approximately 5′ 10″ of medium build and dark brown, medium length hair. He was last seen wearing brown pants with side pockets, a colored sweat shirt and cowboy boots.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s office at (928)774-4523 or toll free at 800-338-7888. You may also call silent witness at (928)774-6111.

Woman Sexually Assaulted in Oak Creek Canyon

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Oak Creek Canyon—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives are investigating the sexual assault of a fifty two year-old woman from Tucson, Arizona who was sightseeing in Oak Creek Canyon on Wednesday, January 8, 2014.

On Wednesday at about 11:19 am the Sheriff’s Office received a call from an Emergency room in Sedona reporting a sexual assault. Deputies responded and conducted an initial interview with the victim. According to the victim she was vacationing in Flagstaff and was driving through Sedona on her return trip to Tucson. She stopped on the side of South 89A in close proximity to the Call of the Canyon day use area for the purpose of looking at the creek. While standing outside of her vehicle the victim was approached from behind and physically assaulted. During the attack the victim was sexually assaulted and at the conclusion of the assault the suspect left on foot possibly in a southerly direction. Detectives are investigating the possibility that the suspect was armed at the time of the assault.

The suspect is described as a white male, mid to late forties in age, with medium length dark colored hair, a scraggly dark colored beard and moustache. He was last seen wearing brown pants with side pockets, a dark colored sweat shirt and cowboy boots.

Individuals who believe they may have information regarding this crime or who possess information regarding the possible identity of the suspect are urged to call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523 or toll free at 1-800-338-7888 or Silent Witness at (928)774-6111.

Telephone scams come home

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UPDATED: 1:31 pm
phoneCOCONINO COUNTY—The Coconino County Sheriff’s Department has released a warning about a new telephone scam in Coconino. An individual identifying himself as “Lieutenant Mike Harris” of the Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division.

Harris asks to speak to a specific person informing them that they have failed to appear in court on a photo-radar speeding ticket. Harris tells the person that they are in the process of issuing an arrest warrant for their failure to appear in court. He instructs the intended victim to go to a local retail outlet to obtain a $250 “Green Dot” pre-paid credit card.

Harris has also been known to advise some intended victims to stay on the phone or he will send deputies to arrest them.

Deputy Gerry Blair of Coconino County Sheriff’s Department is advising that they do not have an employee by the name of Mike Harris. Deputy Blair also noted that this person does not specifically say that he is with any specific Sheriff’s office. So it is difficult to say where these calls are originating from. Legitimate Sheriff’s Deputies do not call for any money on a warrant or to collect fines. Those calls most likely will originate in the court with jurisdiction over the crime. In addition, they do not use photo-radar as a speed enforcement tool.

Unscrupulous phone callers frequently use several methods to accomplish their goals. High-pressure sales tactics claiming that if you do not act now, the offer won’t be available later or offering something that sounds too good to be true with a “no-risk involvement.” Anyone unknown person asking for credit, checking account or other personal financial information should be suspect in your mind. Some will tell you that you have won a prize, but that you will have to pay taxes or shipping or both up front. Usually they will ask you to send money through a wire service or overnight delivery, but apparently will sometimes offer to pick the money up from your home.

There are suggested strategies to protect yourself. First, if it sounds too good, it usually is. Never give out any information to anyone you do not know. You can ask the caller for a call-back phone number (and even then be suspicious) and ask them to send you information on their product or services through the mail.

You can also place your name on the national Do Not Call List. This prevents telemarketing calls, but may not prevent a scammer from using the telephone directory, Internet or other sources to find your number.

If you have an MP3 recorder and receive a suspicious phone call, you can record the conversation. If you receive one from supposed law enforcement, ask for badge number and other identifying information. Ask as many questions as you can think of until the person gets suspicious or you decide to hang up.

You can report the incident to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523, the Flagstaff Police Department at (928) 774-1414, the Williams Police Department at (928) Police Department 635-4461 or other appropriate local police department.

12-year-old drug smuggler reignites immigration debate

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122_2013_cruz-iowa-20168201_s160x107The U.S. Border Patrol earlier this month arrested a 12-year-old illegal immigrant smuggling 80 pounds of marijuana from Mexico into Texas, reigniting a debate over controversial comments made by a Republican congressman earlier this year about children’s involvement in the cross-border drug trade.

Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who has called for a crackdown on illegal immigration, had said there were more young illegal immigrants smuggling drugs than there were ones who were valedictorians of their classes in U.S. high schools.

In the Texas incident earlier this month, Border Patrol agents arrested six Mexicans — two adults, two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and the 12-year-old — smuggling more than 300 pounds of marijuana.

“They were carrying the marijuana on their backs and when arrested it was discovered that the 12-year-old boy had the heaviest load at 80 pounds,” the Border Patrol said in a statement describing the arrest.

Read more at The Washington Times

Feds charge white ‘knockout’ suspect with hate crime

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‘The plan is to see if I were to hit a black person, would this be nationally televised?’

Federal authorities said Thursday they have arrested and charged a Texas man in connection with the “knockout game,” accusing him of a hate crime for targeting a black man for a vicious street attack.

Most knockout victims that have appeared in news reports have been white, but the Justice Department said in this instance the victim was a 79-year-old black man, and stepped in with federal charges

“Suspected crimes of this nature will simply not be tolerated,” said Kenneth Magidson, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of Texas. “Evidence of hate crimes will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted with the assistance of all our partners to the fullest extent of the law.”

Read more at Washington Times

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies search for missing hiker

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thomas langThe Coconino County Sheriff’s office in conjunction with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information concerning a 22-year old, white male hiker missing since December 18th.

Thomas Lang was last seen at the Manzanita Campground in Oak Creek Canyon outside of Sedona on Wednesday December 18 and was due back to the campground on Sunday December 22.

Thomas is 6-foot 1-inches, 140 pounds with blonde dreadlocks. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a dark blue sweat shirt and carrying a red sleeping bag, a white tarp, a guitar and a blue backpack.

Anyone with helpful information are requested to call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-338-7888 Or the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (928)771-3260.

Senate confirms Obama pick Jeh Johnson as Homeland Security secretary

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It should be noted that the Senate thwarted a filibuster attempt by Republicans under the new rules prior to the vote for this previously unknown Obama campaign contributor.

johnsonThe Senate approved Jeh Johnson as the fourth Homeland Security secretary, giving him the reins at a department that, more than a decade after its creation, is still unstable and trying to figure out its role in the massive federal bureaucracy.

The 78-16 vote gives President Obama a solid victory, filling a major Cabinet post that has remained empty since Janet A. Napolitano left in September.

“In Jeh, our dedicated homeland security professionals will have a strong leader with a deep understanding of the threats we face and a proven ability to work across agencies and complex organizations to keep America secure,” Mr. Obama said in a statement released soon after the vote. “I look forward to Jeh’s counsel and sound judgment for years to come.”

Moments after the Johnson confirmation, Democrats set up a vote on another contentious Homeland Security nomination in Alejandro Mayorkas, Mr. Obama’s selection to be deputy secretary of the department, even though Mr. Mayorkas is facing an internal department investigation.

Mr. Johnson brings the shortest list of qualifications to the job of any of the secretaries, having served only as a top lawyer in the Defense Department.

Read more at the Washington Times