Tag Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

SCAM ADVISORY – Recent Scam Targeting Mental Health Providers

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FLAGSTAFF – Today we’ve received at least two phone calls from mental health providers who have received fraudulent phone calls saying that they are being contacted regarding an emergency. In both cases, the scammer spoofed a legitimate phone number of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (928-226-5009) and the caller ID information (Coconino Cnty).

The scammer contacted them via their Psychology Today services. The scammer claimed to be an officer with the Sheriff’s Office (although he may vary this approach and use other aliases). The scammer said he was calling regarding an urgent or emergency situation. He provided a non-legitimate phone number requesting call back.

Variations of the scam may include claims that there is a pending lawsuit or civil issue that needs immediate attention. It is our belief that the scammer hopes the intended victim will call him on the phone number he leaves in his message rather than calling back to an official Sheriff’s Office number. It is likely the scammer is intending to fraudulently obtain either personal information or some type of payment from you.

Consider looking up and calling the legitimate (e.g. official website verified) phone number of an agency to verify claims made by the person calling you. Phone scammers are likely hoping you will try to call them back on other phone numbers they provide which then may compromise your private cell or home phone numbers to be used in their future scam schemes. Do not allow them to bully you.

Call the Sheriff’s Office on one of our legitimate phone numbers to report scams or if you have questions. Visit us at coconino.az.gov/sheriff for legitimate information on how to contact our office.

12-Year-Old Rescued After Being Injured in Climbing Accident

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FLAGSTAFF – On September 9, 2018 at approximately 1:20 PM the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit responded with the Flagstaff Fire Department and Guardian Medical Transport to a climbing accident at the climbing area known as The Pit which is accessed from the Canyon Vista Campground. Information gathered was that a 12-year-old male who was climbing with family members had fallen approximately 20 feet and was injured and in need of rescue.

Responders from Guardian Medical Transport, Flagstaff Fire Department, and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue hiked into the climber’s location and initiated treatment and transport out of the canyon in a basket litter to a waiting ambulance at the campground. The climber sustained a head injury and a wrist injury and was transported by ambulance to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment. The climber and his family were from the greater Phoenix area.

Investigation into the accident revealed that the climber was lead climbing a route known as The Microwave and fell while he was attempting to clip his rope to the third bolt fixed on the route. When he fell, the carabiners connected to the second bolt and first bolt broke causing the climber to land at the base of the climb after falling approximately 20 feet. Upon inspection it was determined that the carabiners that broke were not rated for climbing.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit would like to remind climbers to routinely inspect their equipment and ensure that the equipment they are using is rated for the activity that they are engaging in. Failure to use properly rated equipment could lead to a serious accident.

Sheriff’s Office Labor Day Holiday Activity Summary

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COCONINO COUNTY – The extended weekend encompassing August 31 – September 3 resulted in a large number of calls stemming from outdoor activity in Northern Arizona. The following is a summary of activity as best can be determined from dispatch and officer information available at the time of this media release.

During the extended Labor Day 2018 weekend, deputies responded to over 513 calls for service compared to 383 the previous Friday through Monday. These totals are comparable to the numbers of calls responded to over the 4-day weekend encompassing Memorial Day 2018 (455 calls) and the non-holiday weekend before Memorial Day 2018 (350).

In addition, deputies conducted 316 forest and community patrols and 83 traffic stops over the Labor Day weekend compared to 360 forest and community patrols and 47 traffic stops the previous, non-holiday weekend.

Deputies made multiple contacts with off-road vehicle operators and passengers throughout the county to promote off-road vehicle safety. A common safety violation they encountered was helmet violations. Deputies also made multiple contacts with boat operators and passengers on Lake Powell to promote water safety.

Common calls that deputies responded to over the Labor Day weekend included:

  • 46 disturbing the peace complaints (including off-road vehicle, weapons discharge/target shooting, fireworks, loud parties, complaints about neighboring campers, barking dog issues, etc.)
  • 38 emergency medical situations
  • 46 motorist and public assists (several calls related to public assists at the Coconino County Fair including 5 calls for lost children)
  • 45 assists to other agencies and attempt to locates
  • 35 suspicious activity incidents
  • 17 domestic disputes, assaults, threatening/intimidating related incidents
  • 22 (911) hang-up and alarm related calls
  • 12 fire related calls
  • several Search and Rescue calls (see below for synopsis)

Vehicle Collisions: The Sheriff’s Office received reports of 11 off-road vehicle collisions resulting in injuries.

Seven other vehicle collisions occurred on regular roadways. In all but one medical transport was either refused or not needed. Three of the collisions involved animals crossing the road.

Summary of off-road, recreation travel collisions:

  • August 31 around 10 pm – report of four males injured in off-road collision in the area of forest road 82 (near Blue Ridge). Vehicle reportedly struck a tree ejecting three people. Two patients in critical condition were transported by air, and two other patients were transported by ground medics.
  • August 31 around 11:30 pm – report of adult male injured in ATV rollover accident in the forest area outside of Munds Park. Upon arrival, no one was located at the scene, but the vehicle was still present.
  • September 1 around 8 am – report of adult male and teenage male injured in off-road vehicle accident in the Bear Canyon Lake area. Air medical also responded for patient transport.
  • September 1 around 12:45 pm – report of a teenage male involved in quad rollover accident in forest south of Flagstaff. The camping group self-transported him to medical care.
  • September 1 around 2 pm – report of male injured in dirt bike accident in the forested area around Pumpkin Center. The patient was transported by family to medical care.
  • September 1 around 4 pm – report of female injured in a boat accident near Anchovy Point, Lake Powell
  • September 1 around 4 pm – report of male injured in ATV accident in forested area around Willard Spring. One person was transported by ground medics.
  • September 2 around 9:30 am – report of “side-by-side” that flipped. Parties self-transported to medical care.
  • September 2 around 10:45 am – report of female injured in ATV accident in forested area near Kelly Canyon. Patient was transported by ground medics.
  • September 2 around 5 pm – report of 9-year-old boy and two adults injured in off-road vehicle collision in the Cinder Lakes recreation area. The passenger and boy were transported by ground medics.
  • September 2 around 6:30 pm – report single vehicle collision involving two young adults and their baby on forest road in the area of Walnut Canyon. One person was transported by ground medics.

Seven other vehicle collisions occurred on regular roadways. In all but one medical transport was either refused or not needed. Three of the collisions involved animals crossing the road.

Traffic / Moving Vehicle Stops: Deputies throughout the county conducted 83 traffic stops during the extended weekend, resulting in 18 citations and 15 written warnings.

Search and Rescue:

  • August 31 around 3:45 pm – report of a male hiker in West Fork who was in possible need of medical attention. Hiker later reported to no longer need assistance.
  • September 1 around 11 am – female was injured during fall in the area of West Fork. Patient required transport by rescue person via a litter carry to the trailhead / parking area.
  • September 1 around 3 pm – two young adult males were reported overdue to their campsite. They had been driving ATVs when they left their camp earlier in the morning. The were located and escorted back to their camp.
  • September 1 around 6 pm – deputy in Forest Lakes area located three lost hikers in the Bear Canyon area and provided them rides back to their camp
  • September 1 around 9:30 pm – received report of separated parties hiking Humphreys Trail. Parties were able to self-reunite and no longer needed assistance.
  • September 2 around 12:30 pm – a 21-year-old female on a 21-day group hike was reported to be in anaphylaxis. Several agencies were involved in the search to attempt to locate the patient in the area of Chevelon Lake and Horse Trap. The patient was transported by Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Air Rescue.
  • September 2 around 5:45 pm – report of 7 teenagers overdue to their campsite at Bear Canyon Lake. Game and Fish officers assisted and learned all had returned safely to the camp.
  • September 3 around 9:45 am – report of a female hiker who had been stuck in quick sand in the Paria Canyon near Big Springs since the previous afternoon. Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Air Rescue and Search and Rescue responded to rescue the person.
  • September 3 around 8:30 pm – assisted Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in response to multiple vehicles caught in swift moving water and mud in the area of Perkinsville Road and Drake Road (south of Williams, AZ)

Deaths:

  • On September 1, 2018, deputies responded to a male subject who committed suicide at a residence in Greers Trailer Park.
  • On September 1, 2018 deputies responded to a male subject who was found unresponsive in a bathroom at Knoll Lake.

Detention Facility: The Coconino County Detention Facility Flagstaff Facility which receives arrested persons from multiple agencies throughout Northern Arizona (including: Coconino Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, Northern Arizona University Police, Williams Police, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, as well as federal and state agencies) processed 105 bookings from August 31, 2018 through September 3, 2018. The majority of these booking occurred at the Flagstaff facility; 18 bookings occurred in the Page facility.

Of those bookings, 34 had felony related charges. Bookings by type of offense included (but were not limited to), 6 aggravated assault, 8 other assault, 8 DUI’s, 29 wants or warrants (e.g., failure to appear, failure to comply, probation violation, other warrants), 10 disorderly conduct, 9 drug offenses, 8 court remands, 4 trespass offenses, 4 driving offenses, 1 sex offense, 1 endangerment offense, 1 burglary offense.

Thank you to the other agencies who assisted: The Sheriff’s Office thanks all those individuals and other public safety agencies that assisted with responses during this holiday weekend and in helping to keep our community safe.

ACLU and Illegal Alien Dismiss Class Action Lawsuit Against Coconino County Sheriff

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FLAGSTAFF – – Plaintiff Guillermo Tenorio-Serrano was arrested by the Arizona Department of Public Safety on December 11, 2017, for driving under the extreme influence of intoxicating liquor. At the time of his arrest, Tenorio-Serrano blew .203 and .195 on the DPS Intoxilyzer. Tenorio-Serrano was taken to the Coconino County Detention Facility.

On December 12, 2017, the United States Department of Homeland Security, through ICE, sent a Notice of Action – Immigration Detainer and a Warrant for Tenorio-Serrano to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. The Detainer stated that there was probable cause to believe that Tenorio-Serrano was a removable alien and requested that the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office maintain custody of him for a period not to exceed 48 hours beyond the time he would otherwise be released in order for ICE officers to take custody of him.

Tenorio-Serrano and the ACLU filed a class action lawsuit against Coconino County Sheriff James Driscoll and Jail Commander Matthew Figueroa and alleged that the Sheriff’s policy of holding pretrial detainees after they have satisfied conditions for release on state charges, was unlawful and violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 2, Section 8, of the Arizona Constitution. Tenorio-Serrano and the ACLU sought a preliminary injunction ordering his immediate release.

Prior to the lawsuit, Sheriff Driscoll stated that it was his understanding that state law required the jail to cooperate with federal authorities and honor ICE detainer requests. The Sheriff further stated that he intended to cooperate with the lawful requests of federal authorities. He noted that the intent of Arizona state law is that state law enforcement agencies cooperate with federal agencies enforcing the immigration laws of the United States. The Sheriff also made it clear that “if a court having jurisdiction over us changes the law, we’ll change our policy to comply with that immediately.”

After legal briefing and oral argument, United States District Court Judge David G. Campbell ruled against the ACLU and Tenorio-Serrano on July 5, 2018. Judge Campbell determined that Tenorio-Serrano and the ACLU did not have “a fair chance of success on the merits,” and denied the request for a preliminary injunction.

Judge Campbell noted that the Sheriff would face serious hardship if the Court ordered him to refrain from complying with ICE detainers. The Judge further noted that an injunction would interfere with Sheriff Driscoll’s judgment as an elected official, would interfere with the Arizona Legislature’s policy determination that Arizona should cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, and might interfere with Arizona’s interest in preventing unlawful immigration as specifically recognized by the United States Supreme Court.

On July 30, 2018, Tenorio-Serrano, through his ACLU attorneys, moved to dismiss the class action lawsuit against the Coconino County officials. On August 20, 2018, Judge Campbell dismissed Plaintiff’s lawsuit.

As a result of the District Court’s ruling, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will continue to cooperate with federal authorities and honor ICE detainer requests. Sheriff Driscoll recognizes that there are different approaches to immigration policy. His main priority as a sworn law enforcement officer, however, is the safety of his community and the enforcement of the laws that he swore to uphold as the chief law enforcement officer of Coconino County.

Critical Incident Response Training to be held in Downtown Flagstaff

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FLAGSTAFF – On August 14 and 15, 2018 the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a Critical Incident Response Training that involves personnel from several Northern Arizona law enforcement agencies as well as personnel from local area fire departments.

We want our residents, business owners, and visitors to be aware that this training will result in increased police and fire activity in the area. The training will occur between 8 am and 5 pm on August 14-15 at the former San Francisco de Asis School, located at 320 N. Humphreys St. Flagstaff AZ, 86001.

The training will be a reality-based exercise to provide first responders additional tools to use when faced with an integrated response to critical incidents.

The Sheriff’s Office along with the other agencies would like to thank St. Francis De Asis Parish for providing the venue for this training.

Flagstaff Man Arrested After Barricading in Tent with Children

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Kinnikinick Lake, Coconino County, AZ – Twenty-nine-year-old Jarred A. McMinn (also known as Jarred Parker) of Flagstaff was arrested early this morning after a stand-off lasting several hours.

On July 26, 2018 around 7:50 pm deputies from Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at Kinnikinick Lake, which is located approximately 30 miles south of Flagstaff. Upon arrival deputies learned that an adult female had been the victim of a domestic assault. The suspect was identified as Jarred McMinn.

When deputies attempted to contact McMinn at his tent campsite, he refused to cooperate and barricaded himself inside the tent. Deputies determined that McMinn was armed with a handgun and had three young children in the tent with him.

Deputies requested assistance from the Flagstaff Police Department Joint Tactical Team. Arizona Department of Public Safety Troopers and Air Rescue also responded and assisted. After around 6 hours of negotiations, McMinn surrendered and exited the tent. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Jarred A. McMinn has been booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility under charges including Aggravated Domestic Violence, Weapons Misconduct, Criminal Damage, and Endangerment.

CCSO Seeking Public’s Help in Identifying Persons of Interest in Burglaries

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Stoneman Lake, AZ – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two persons of interest in connection with recent residential burglaries in the Stoneman Lake area.

Credit cards stolen during the burglaries were used at a casino on June 15, 2018. The Sheriff’s Office is releasing a video showing two males who were seen at the casino during the time frame that the stolen credit cards were used. The persons of interest are the two men seen walking past the camera. Snapshots from the video also are included.

If anyone has information regarding the identity of these individuals or about these crimes, please contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-338-7888 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.

Multi-Agency Rescue of Injured Hiker at Grand Falls

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FLAGSTAFF — On Monday, July 16 at approximately 7:00 pm multiple agencies responded to rescue an injured hiker at Grand Falls. The 18-year-old female hiker from Flagstaff had descended a route on the west side of Grand Falls with a group. While scrambling out, a hand hold that she was using broke loose causing her to fall approximately 30 feet. The hiker sustained non-life-threatening injuries but was unable to climb out of the area on her own.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office-Search and Rescue Unit, Summit Fire District, Flagstaff Fire Department, Navajo Nation Fire Department, Navajo Nation Police Department, and Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Air Rescue responded. A Heli-Rescue Technician from the Flagstaff Fire Department boarded the Arizona DPS Air Rescue helicopter and flew to the accident site. The helicopter performed a one-skid landing to allow the crew to access the hiker. The crew carried her back to the helicopter for transport to the parking area. DPS Air Rescue with an additional paramedic from Summit Fire District on board flew the hiker to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind visitors to the Grand Falls area that there may be elevated flows due to the monsoon rains that can make hiking to the base of the falls hazardous. Hikers should be prepared for the conditions and be prepared to change their plans if the conditions do not seem conducive to the activity they planned.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all of the agencies that responded to this incident. The team work and relationships between the public safety agencies contributed to the successful outcome of this call.

Rescue of Injured Hiker at Lava River Cave

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FLAGSTAFF — On July 9, 2018 at approximately 2:00 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Guardian Medical Transport, and Ponderosa Fire District responded to an injured hiker in the Lava River Cave. The 44-year-old male hiker from Cordes Lakes, AZ suffered an ankle injury near the end of the cave and was unable to walk out on his own. Ponderosa Fire and Guardian Medical personnel hiked in to initiate patient care while Search and Rescue carried a litter and responded with additional personnel to transport the hiker out of the cave. Twenty-three rescue personnel from the three agencies were involved in the operation.

The terrain in the cave as well as the darkness made for a challenging rescue. After an approximately three-and-a-half-hour rescue operation, rescuers were able to get the hiker out at 5:52 pm. The hiker was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of an ankle injury.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind hikers planning a trip to the Lava River Cave to be prepared for the conditions inside the cave. In addition to total darkness, the ground is rocky and uneven. Temperatures range from 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit inside the cave even during the summer. It is recommended that hikers use a headlamp and helmet as well as wear appropriate hiking footwear when entering the cave.

Rescue of Climbing Accident Victim at Oak Creek Vista

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FLAGSTAFF – On July 2, 2018 at approximately 1:15 pm, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about a climbing accident at Oak Creek Vista off of State Route 89A. Multiple agencies responded to assist in the rescue of the injured climber.

A 57-year-old male from Tucson, AZ had sustained a back injury when he fell approximately 20 feet at the end of his rappel. Due to the location of the patient and the nature of his injuries, Search and Rescue established a technical rope system to lower a rescuer and basket litter to the patient. Highlands Fire and Guardian Medical personnel had hiked to the patient’s location to provide initial treatment and help prepare the patient to be raised by the rope system. The Search and Rescue litter attendant and the patient were then raised via a mechanical advantage rope system to the top of the canyon and carried out to the waiting ambulance. The patient was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Thank you to Highlands Fire District, Guardian Medical Transport, and Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit.