Category Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

Lost Hiker in Bear Jaw Canyon Located

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Flagstaff––On Monday, August 12, 2013 at about 9:20 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an overdue hiker in the Bear Jaw Canyon area of the San Francisco Peaks. The hiker, a 24 year old male, separated from his hiking companions on their return hike to their vehicle at the trailhead. He was last seen at approximately 7 pm. When the rest of the group arrived at the trailhead he was not there. The overdue hiker was dressed in shorts and a tank top shirt, and only had a water bottle with him.

A search was conducted by Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Search and Rescue personnel who were aided by a helicopter from the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Unit in Phoenix.

The hiker was located by searchers at approximately 2:20 am on 08/13/13 on a ridge between Bear Jaw Canyon and Reese Canyon. He was in good condition and was reunited with his hiking companions at the trailhead.

At this time of year the weather can be warm and pleasant during the day but can rapidly cool off at night. Day hikers should be prepared with at least the ten essentials when they set out for even short day hikes. Hikers should always tell someone where they are going and when they plan to return.

10 Essentials:

1. Water
2. Food
3. Extra Clothing for the conditions
4. Navigation Equipment (map, compass, GPS)
5. Headlamp/Flashlight
6. First Aid Kit
7. Shelter Material (emergency blanket/heavy duty leaf bag)
8. Fire Starting Kit (be aware of any fire restrictions)
9. Pocket Knife/Multi-Tool
10. Whistle/Signal Mirror

Lightning Strikes Three Killing Two

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Fredonia AZ—Yesterday at about 3:00 pm a bolt of lightning struck in the area of the LeFevre  Scenic Overlook at MP 590.4 on Highway 89A about eight miles north of Jacobs Lake. Two visitors from a foreign country were pronounced dead at the scene and a non-related minor received non-life-threatening injuries. This highlights the dangers that thunderstorms represent.

A group of people were standing in the area of the overlook when a man and wife from out of the country were struck and later pronounced deceased at the scene.  A third victim who is a male minor also was struck by the lightning and knocked to the ground.  He was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.  He was transported to an area hospital by Kane County Utah Medical Transport.  The child was not associated with the two deceased victims and was traveling with several adult guardians.

After the lighting strike several other people at the overlook called the Kane County 911 Dispatch Center on their cell phones and reported the incident.  Dispatchers sent the Kane County Ambulance and notified the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.  The two deceased victims were transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office located in Flagstaff.

Names of the two deceased victims are being withheld pending next of kin notification.  This investigation is being continued by Sheriff’s Detectives and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Department recommends the following when thunderstorms are present. Chance of thundershowers exist through Saturday in the 40% to 50% range.

Lightning Safety Tips

Plan in advance your evacuation and safety measures. When you first see lightning or hear thunder, activate your emergency plan. Now is the time to go to a building or a vehicle. Lightning often precedes rain, so don’t wait for the rain to begin before suspending activities.

IF OUTDOORS…Avoid water. Avoid the high ground. Avoid open spaces. Avoid all metal objects including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power tools, etc. Unsafe places include underneath canopies, small picnic or rain shelters, or near trees. Where possible, find shelter in a substantial building or in a fully enclosed metal vehicle such as a car, truck or a van with the windows completely shut. If lightning is striking nearby when you are outside, you should:

Crouch down. Put feet together. Place hands over ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder.

Avoid proximity (minimum of 15 ft.) to other people.

IF INDOORS… Avoid water. Stay away from doors and windows. Do not use the telephone. Take off headsets. Turn off, unplug, and stay away from appliances, computers, power tools, & TV sets. Lightning may strike exterior electric and phone lines, inducing shocks to inside equipment.

SUSPEND ACTIVITIES for 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.

INJURED PERSONS do not carry an electrical charge and can be handled safely. Apply First Aid procedures to a lightning victim if you are qualified to do so. Call 911 or send for help immediately.

KNOW YOUR EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

Man Arrested after Firing Multiple Shotgun Rounds in a Residence he Burglarized

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Damage caused by suspect - Photo courtesy of Coconino County Sheriff's Department

Damage caused by suspect – Photo courtesy of Coconino County Sheriff’s Department

Blue Ridge, AZ—Thirty one year-old Justin Kincaid of Kincaid, JustinMaricopa, Arizona was arrested on Friday, July 19, 2013 at about midnight after breaking into an unoccupied home located in the Blue Ridge area. Kincaid is believed to have illegally occupied the residential structure for several days before he caused significant damage to the contents and structure of the home. He allegedly armed himself with a shotgun he found inside the residence and fired it many times breaking some of the windows. It is believed he broke out the rest of the windows by other means. When deputies and other assisting law enforcement officers arrived Kincaid continued to discharge the shotgun inside the structure.

On Friday at about 5:15 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received six 911 calls from neighbors who reported hearing multiple gunshots in close proximity to their homes. The callers could not see the suspect, but described the shots as being fired continuously. Neighbors congregated at one of the homes in the immediate area. Deputies arrived, began to search the area on foot and were able to hear multiple gunshots being fired. Deputies identified the home where the gunshots were originating from and established a perimeter and watched the structure from a position of safety. The suspect was playing loud music and could be seen pacing back and forth inside the house.

A Sheriff’s Lieutenant who was at the scene contacted the Flagstaff Police Department and requested that the FPD/CCSO SWAT team respond. Once the SWAT team was on scene they approached the residence in an armored vehicle and used an external speaker system to communicate with the suspect and convinced him to walk out of the residence unarmed. SWAT team members arrested Justin Kincaid without further incident.

After entering and searching the home deputies learned that vandalism to the interior of the structure was extensive and estimated cost of repairs and replacement to be as much as $100,000. It appeared that Kincaid targeted most everything breakable, to include shooting out or otherwise shattering every window (about 35, some very large), all mirrors, multiple high-end kitchen appliances and a large crystal and china collection. During their search deputies found 54 expended shotgun shells.

During an interview with Kincaid, detectives learned that he left the residence of a relative on July 14 and drove to Blue Ridge with the intentions of camping in the forest. He drove around Starlight Pines, claiming to be looking for forest access. According to the suspect he found a residence with an open garage door instead. Kincaid said he stayed in the garage until it was obvious that no one would be returning in the near future. At some point while the suspect was in the residence he became frustrated with his circumstances and did the previously described damage. Justin Kincaid is being held in the Coconino County Sheriff’s Detention Facility on charges of Second Degree Burglary, Felony Criminal Damage and Possession of a Firearm while committing a felony.

Seventy Three Year-Old Parks AZ Man Shot in Chest

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Parks—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a shooting in Parks on Sunday. The incident appears to be a case of domestic violence between a seventy-three year old man and his twenty-nine year old wife.

The man was shot in the chest in the community between Williams and Bellemont. The man was treated at the scene by Guardian medical personnel and transported to Flagstaff where he is currently listed in critical condition. Detectives have yet to interview the man because of his condition.

According to the female, she and her husband spent a significant time on Sunday at a bar located close to their neighborhood. According to the female, both of them consumed a significant amount of alcohol during the course of the day. She reported that upon their return home they began to argue with each other and her husband elected to leave the residence and spend the night in his jeep that was parked outside.

She said that at some point during the evening, her husband reentered the residence and the two began to argue once again. According to the female, her husband placed his hands around her neck and began to choke her. At some point during this altercation the male was shot once in the chest with a 22 caliber hand gun.

Detectives are continuing this investigation in an attempt to determine who produced the weapon and who was holding the weapon at the time of the shooting. No arrests have been made at this point. The Sheriff’s Office is withholding the names of the two involved individuals pending further investigation.

Car Pedestrian Collision Claims Life of Two Year-Old Child

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Doney Park—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives are investigating a fatality car pedestrian collision that occurred yesterday on Pioneer Valley Road located in the Doney Park subdivision east of Flagstaff.

On Monday, July 8, 2013 at about 4:41 pm deputies responded to the report of a car pedestrian collision in which the two year-old female victim was described as being in very serious condition. The first deputy arrived before any on-duty firefighters or medical personnel were on scene. The deputy found the child lying in the roadway unconscious, with obvious physical signs of severe head trauma. A retired Summit Fire Department firefighter with prior medical training was knelling over the child and stabilizing her head and neck. The deputy immediately began chest compressions and quickly determined the child had a pulse and very labored breathing. Medical personnel from the Summit Fire Department and Guardian Medical Transport arrived and took over the medical care of the victim. The child was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center by Guardian ground ambulance.

During an interview with the fifty nine year-old female driver of the vehicle, deputies determined she was driving north on Pioneer Valley road at a speed of about 25 miles per hour when she looked to the west side of Pioneer Valley Road and saw a group of children playing in a residential yard adjacent to the road. According to the driver she slowed her vehicle to about 20 miles per hour. Deputies believe the child was in a yard on the east side of the road when she ran into the street and was struck by the front, passenger side of the car.

The child was pronounced deceased on Monday evening by a physician at the Flagstaff Medical Center. No enforcement action has been taken at this point as the investigation is ongoing.

Woman Dies in Supai Canyon After Being Struck by Falling Tree Branch

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Supai, AZ—Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives are investigating the death of twenty seven year-old Danielle Marie Harris of Mesa, Arizona who was struck by a falling tree branch in Supai Canyon.

On Saturday July 6, 2013 at about 4:15 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Officers who are assigned to law enforcement duties in Supai Canyon. According to the BIA investigator, Ms. Harris was staying at the designated camp ground in the canyon with nine other people in her group, all from the greater Phoenix area. The victim was seated at a picnic table positioned under a large cottonwood tree located in the campground. BIA investigators believe that as a result of high winds, a large branch that was approximately twelve inches in diameter broke off and struck the victim who sustained multiple injuries to include severe head trauma. A portion of the branch also struck a forty seven year-old male of Peoria, Arizona who was standing in close proximity to the picnic table.

Medical personnel employed by the Havasupai Nation responded and determined that Ms. Harris was deceased. The male who also was struck by the branch was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and flown to the Flagstaff Medical Center by an Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter. Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives are continuing this investigation.

Items Stolen from Train Recovered in Williams

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Williams, AZ––On Saturday, June 22, 2013, Deputies of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Williams Patrol District encountered suspicious vehicles in the Parks, AZ area. One of the vehicles, a U-Haul Truck left the scene when a Deputy tried to make contact with the occupants. The U-Haul was observed heading eastbound on I-40 and eventually was located abandoned at the parking lot of the Quality Inn. A search of the U-Haul revealed several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of electronics items which were later determined to have been stolen from a BNSF train.

The incident began at approximately 6:15 am on Saturday morning when a deputy was conducting regular neighborhood patrols in the Parks, AZ area. He observed at least two vehicles that were suspiciously parked; one of the vehicles was a U-Haul Truck. When the deputy tried to make contact with the occupants, the driver of the U-Haul Truck drove off at a high rate of speed.

Another deputy responding to assist the deputy in Parks observed the U-Haul on I-40 in the opposite direction of travel the deputy was driving. The deputy turned around to attempt to stop the U-Haul, but the truck exited I-40, Exit 163 and was abandoned in the parking lot of the Quality Inn hotel in Williams, AZ. The driver is suspected of having fled into the woods north of the hotel. The driver was not located during a search of the woods.

A member of the member of the Northern Arizona Street Crimes Task Force (also known as Metro), assisted the Sheriff’s Office in obtaining and executing a search warrant on the U-Haul truck. Items found in the truck included packaged electronics such as flat screen TV’s, speakers, car stereos, DVD players, etc. The exact value is not known but expected to be worth several hundred thousand dollars. The investigation revealed that these items had been stolen from a BNSF train at a location somewhere between Sanders, AZ and the Arizona-New Mexico state line. BNSF law enforcement responded to the location and took custody of the property.

The other vehicle and three individuals contacted in the Parks area were interviewed and released prior to the discovery of the stolen items. BNSF has taken jurisdiction of the investigation.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagstaff Police Department Offer Woods Watch Training and Orientation

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FLAGSTAFF—As Coconino County has moved into heightened fire danger season and into greater fire related restrictions, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and the US Forest Service are offering “Woods Watch” training and orientation. This volunteer program is similar to Neighborhood Watch and is of vital importance in residential areas that interface with forested land. Volunteers are asked to watch for people accessing closed areas of the forest and for people who are using fire carelessly or against current fire restrictions. These volunteers are trained to be especially vigilant for activity that may be occurring on forested lands in the Flagstaff City limits, unincorporated areas of Coconino County, and on US Forest Service land.

Woods Watch has been very successful in years past. In 2002, approximately 300 volunteers attended the training and assisted Northern Arizona law enforcement officers in watching access points to the forest. Teams of volunteers were trained in the greater Flagstaff area, Mormon Lake, Munds Park and other unincorporated areas of Coconino County. The additional sets of eyes on our community helped keep unlawful fire activity under check. With the extremely dry and windy conditions our community experiences, a fire start may spread very quickly endangering lives and property.

This year, we are offering Woods Watch re-certification and new volunteer training on Friday, June 28, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd. Citizens who have attended this training in previous years are asked to attend again as a review and to receive updated information. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office also will be providing Woods Watch training to its established volunteer groups of Search and Rescue, existing Neighborhood Watch Programs, and CERT during their regular meetings. The training takes approximately one hour.

The Woods Watch Program area a commitment to join local law enforcement officers with community members to keep our communities and our forests beautiful, safe and free of wild land fires.

Vehicle Collides with FUSD Bus

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FLAGSTAFF—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the report of a two vehicle collision involving a school bus and a suburban utility vehicle today at about 12:32 pm. The collision occurred on Leupp Road in the area of Copley Drive. To date Deputies have determined that the SUV was traveling southbound on Leupp Road and for an unknown reason crossed the centerline of the roadway and struck the driver side of a FUSD school bus that was traveling northbound.

The impact caused the rear axle of the bus to break free from its mounts. The rear axle of the bus struck the front drivers side wheel and axle of the SUV causing it to separate from the frame. Summit Fire Department and Guardian ambulance personnel transported the driver of the SUV for minor injuries. There were three children on the school bus at the time of the collision. All three elementary school students denied injury however two were transported to Flagstaff Medical Center as a precautionary measure where they were treated and released. The third child was released to a family member who arrived on scene. The driver of the bus was not injured in the collision.

The three students were being transported from an elementary school located in Flagstaff to their homes in Leupp at the time of this collision. Deputies are continuing this investigation. No citations have been issued at this point in the investigation.

Deceased Male Located in Oak Creek Canyon

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FLAGSTAFF—The body of the man who was found deceased in Oak Creek Canyon on May 27,2013 has been identified as forty-seven year old Stephen Buck of Washington state.

On May 27, 2013 at about 4:13 pm an individual who was hiking in Oak Creek Canyon called a Coconino County Sheriff Emergency Dispatcher on his cell phone to report that he and a companion hiker were exploring the canyon when they found a deceased male subject. The caller’s location was determined to be off of State Route 89A in the area of mile post 379.5. Upon their arrival Deputies made contact with the reporting party and found the body to be that of an adult male, that was lying face down behind some trees by a creek. The subject was fully clothed and investigators did not observe any signs of injures or blunt trauma that would be consistent with an assault or some other manner of foul play.

Detectives found several types of controlled substances or narcotics in close proximity to the body. Investigators found a key for a U-Haul vehicle in a pocket of clothing worn by the deceased individual and matched it to a U-Haul van that was parked along SR 89A. The van was reported as stolen by the renting agency and investigators learned that there was an active US Marshal Federal Warrant for the deceased subject that was initiated by the Department of Drug Enforcement in California.

Detectives are considering the possibility that the individual died as the result of a self-induced drug overdose. This investigation is being continued.