Category Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

Doney Park Neighborhood Watch Meeting

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neighborhoodwatchFlagstaff—Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger would like to invite residents of the Doney Park community to attend the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Thursday, February 6, 2014. The meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Summit Fire District Station 32 and Administrative Offices located at 8905 Koch Field Road Flagstaff, AZ

Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll will be at the meeting to encourage continued neighborhood participation and to share information. Doney Park Community Deputies will be available to answer questions and provide support to this partnership between law abiding citizens, law enforcement and county government. District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger will be present to share information from Coconino County Government.

Supervisor Metzger will speak about forest access in the Doney Park area and will have a representative of the United States Forest Service on hand to answer questions. Michelle Hart who is an Adult Probation Officer III will speak about her assigned duties and will present an overview of the Coconino County Adult Probation Department.

Two Men Arrested for Attempted Homicide

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suspectsFlagstaff—On Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at about 9:00 pm Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives and Deputies arrested eighteen-year old Garrett McCabe of the Greater Flagstaff area and subsequently arrested nineteen year-old Christian Cordova also of Flagstaff both for Attempted Homicide in the first degree.

On January 28, 2014 at about 6:19 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center was advised that a victim arrived at an urgent care facility in Winslow, AZ suffering from multiple stab wounds to his shoulder and back which he had received during an attack that occurred in the earlier that day.

The nineteen-year-old male victim of Flagstaff arrived at a Winslow, AZ emergency room on the afternoon of January 28, 2014 with multiple stab wounds to his shoulder and upper torso. Deputies were able to contact the victim’s mother. The victim told his mother that an acquaintance he identified as Garrett McCabe and another unknown male later identified as Christian Cordova arranged to meet him near his house, drove him to a forested area off of Eden Springs Road where McCabe stabbed him multiple times with a knife. He was then driven to McCabe’s residence, where the suspects attempted to bandage his wounds. According to the victim he was eventually dropped off near his home and walked the remaining distance to his house. A family member drove the victim to a medical center located in Winslow. The victim told his mother that during the attack, he believed Christian Cordova chased him with a hatchet.

Deputies responded to Garrett McCabe’s residence and observed a small trail of blood droplets on the concrete driveway and on the handrail leading to the front door. Despite multiple attempts to summons an occupant to the front door, no one answered. Shortly after the Deputies arrival at the residence, a man arrived and identified himself as the owner of the home and as a relative of Garrett McCabe. He allowed Deputies to enter his residence and directed them to a bedroom where they found the suspect asleep. While inside the home, Deputies observed what they believed to be fresh droplets of blood on the floor. Garrett McCabe was transported to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. During his interview with Detectives, McCabe made statements implicating himself in the offense of Attempted Homicide.

Late Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Detectives located and interviewed Christian Cordova at his place of employment in Flagstaff. During his conversation with detectives, Cordova made statements implicating himself in the crime of Attempted Homicide. Both Garrett McCabe and Christian Cordova are currently being held at the Coconino County Sheriff’s Detention Facility.

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.

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.

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.

Boy Scout Troop Rescued from West Fork

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Flagstaff—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Search and Rescue Volunteers assisted a group of eight Boy Scouts and three adult leaders out of the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon after one of their leaders sustained a leg injury.

On Saturday, October 19, 2013 at about 11:00 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an adult male approximately thirty years of age who identified himself as one of three adult leaders who had taken a troop of Boy Scouts ranging in age from eight to twelve years on a hike through the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon. According to the caller approximately three miles into their hike the group encountered an unexpected large body of water that ceased their forward progress.

According to the caller the group was not equipped or prepared to wade through the water that at its highest point was chest high on some of the boys. During this same time period the other male leader who was seventy-one years of age injured his leg to the point that he found hiking or walking to be painful. The reporting party hiked out to the West Fork Trail Head off of Woody Mountain Road which was the point where the group began their hike to call for help. He was able to obtain cellular telephone service and called the Sheriff’s Office for help and subsequently hiked back to the location where he left the rest of his group.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Search and Rescue Volunteers hiked to the group’s location. Some of the rescuers immediately escorted the boy scouts and a thirty year old female leader back to Woody Mountain Road. A group of Search and Rescue Volunteers remained with the injured leader and administered wilderness first aid preparing him to hike back to the starting point. The rescuers and the injured leader reached Woody Mountain Road on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at about 7:20 a.m. A crew from Guardian Medical Transport met the victim as he arrived and conducted an initial medical assessment. The injured person refused additional medical care and declined transportation to the medical center. The Boy Scouts and their leaders returned to the Phoenix area where they live.

Man Seriously Injured By Rock Slide

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rock-slide-01

Photos courtesy of Coconino County Sheriff

FLAGSTAFF—A twenty seven year-old man of the Phoenix area was crushed and trapped by a large boulder weighing more than thirty tons that slid down the mountain side. He was standing on Elden Lookout Road attempting to move another large boulder that had previously fallen into the road.

On Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at about 7:23 am the Coconino County Sheriff’ Office received the report of a man that was crushed by a rock slide on the Mount Elden Lookout Road located approximately 3.3 miles up from the bottom of the mountain. Dispatch immediately sent first responders from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, the Summit Fire Department and Guardian Medical Transport. The Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter was placed on a standby status pending the arrival of emergency personnel who would assess the conditions and determine if a safe landing zone was available.

rock-slide-02The first to arrive were a Sheriff’s Office patrol Sergeant and Corporal. They observed two very large boulders blocking the road and learned that the four men the victim was traveling with removed him from underneath the boulder. The victim’s legs and pelvic area appeared to have been crushed and severely injured by the weight of the boulder. Due to the condition of the road the responding ambulance and fire truck were not able to drive to the victim’s location. A Sheriff’s Sergeant and a Guardian Battalion Chief who were both operating four wheel drive vehicles were able to drive additional rescue personnel to the scene. A Search and Rescue Coordinator was not able to identify a safe landing zone for air transportation. The victim was prepared for transport and placed in the rear of a Sheriff’s Commander’s assigned SUV and driven to the waiting ambulance, at which point the patient was transferred to the ambulance and transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center.

Investigators learned that the men were from the Phoenix area and were headed up the mountain with the intent of working on one of the radio towers.

The Coconino National Forest has closed Elden Lookout Road and may be temporarily closing other trails and areas affected by the recent rains. Current conditions can be found on their website at www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and County Emergency Management offer Community Emergency Response Team Training in Flagstaff

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The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Emergency Management Division will present a three day Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class in Flagstaff. More than fifty CERT classes have been delivered to urban, rural and reservation communities throughout Coconino County since its inception and we want to continue to share this training with our community members.

The class will be held in Flagstaff beginning Friday, September 27, 2013, from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013 from 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday September 29, 2013 from 8 am to 5 pm. The class will be held in the Brent F. Cooper Memorial Auditorium at the Law Enforcement Administrative Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Road, Flagstaff, Arizona.

CERT Classes are offered free of charge by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and upon successful completion each participant will receive a Community Emergency Response Basic Certification and a back pack containing basic community emergency first responder gear to include a reflective vest, hard hat, eye protection, gloves, a four-in-one tool, and a CERT field response guide.

Successful participants who wish to serve their community will be invited to join a team in Flagstaff that meets monthly for additional in-service trainings and assists local first responders during emergency and non-emergency events. CERT Team members in Flagstaff meet monthly for additional training. CERT Volunteers have been utilized during responses to wild land fires, flooding, tornados, heavy snow storms and many other natural disasters. CERT Volunteers have served in a variety of capacities to include staffing road blocks, assisting with neighborhood evacuation notifications, staffing joint information call centers, assisting with Incident Command Centers, distributing neighborhood safety information and in many other areas.

Community members who would like additional information or who wish to register for the Basic CERT Training in Flagstaff are encouraged to call the Community Programs Office of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089 or go to the Community Programs & Education page of the Sheriff’s website http://www.coconino.az.gov/index.aspx?nid=354
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