Tag Archives: Flagstaff

Inter-Agency Cooperation Results in an Arrest for Multiple Counts of Exploitation of a Minor

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300Leroy-BehnkeFLAGSTAFF — On May 12, 2015 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Agents contacted Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives regarding the possession and distribution of child pornography by an adult male who lives in the greater Flagstaff area. According to the FBI agents they developed information that caused them to believe that 28 year-old Leroy Behnke of Flagstaff, Arizona was in possession of numerous images depicting young children and infants engaged in various sexual acts. They further believed that Behnke had obtained the images from several online chat rooms and then distributed the images to other online users.

On May 21, 2015 Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives, Deputies and FBI Agents served a search warrant on Behnke’s place of residence while he was at home. During the service of the search warrant Behnke’s laptop computer was seized and he was interviewed by a Sheriff’s Detective and an FBI agent.

During the interview Behnke made statements implicating himself in numerous counts of possessing and exchanging child pornography images online. Behnke was arrested on 10 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Distribution and transported to the Coconino County Detention Facility where he was incarcerated.

This case is one of many cooperative efforts between the FBI and the Sheriff’s office that resulted in the arrest of an outstanding suspect on very serious charges.

Sheriff’s Detectives and FBI agents are continuing this investigation.

Missing man found camping

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FLAGSTAFF — Robert Roach, the person of concern reported missing June 1, was found safe. Sergeant Beckman of the Flagstaff Police Department confirmed that FPD patrols that monitor campfires in the area of Flagstaff found Mr. Roach yesterday at a camp site. Sgt. Beckman confirmed that he is well.

Thanks to one of our readers for letting us know that he was found.

Armed robbery at Circle K in Flagstaff

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image011image012FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying a suspect that robbed a Circle K in Flagstaff at gunpoint.

The robbery occurred at about 1:37 a.m. yesterday morning at the Circle K located at 2718 N. Steves Boulevard.

The suspect is a white male, approximately 6’00” tall, believed to be in his 40’s and was last seen wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, black mask, black beanie, black gloves, blue jeans and grey Van’s style shoes. The suspect left toward Steves Blvd.

The gun used during the robbery was a silver or blued revolver with wood grips.

Please contact Detective Carlson at 928-679-4060 or the on-call detective with any additional information. If you do not want to leave your name and have information please call SILENT WITNESS at 928 774-6111.

Coconino County Attorney Citizens Academy planned for June 12

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Attorney has ten spots left for the June Citizen Prosecutor Academy one day program. The Academy provides citizens with information concerning the operation of the office of the County Attorney.

The event will be held June 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is held in the CCAO Humphreys Room. The application to attend can be downloaded here. Completed forms can be faxed to (928)679-8201, or mailed to Coconino County Attorney’s Office, 110 E. Cherry Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Or, contact Tami
Suchowiejko at (928)679-8229 or email tsuchowiejko@coconino.az.gov.

“We’re excited to continue our academy which brings the community into the office to share information, exchange ideas, and facilitate a better understanding of how the County Attorney’s Office serves the public. It’s also a lot of fun”, said County Attorney Rozema

There is an Advanced Citizen Prosecutor Academy that is also held throughout the year. Those who attend this Academy are invited to attend the Advanced Academy.
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Flagstaff Police seek assistance in locating suicidal missing person

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FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Police Department is asking for public assistance in locating Robert Roach—a missing person who may be suicidal.

image004Robert (Bobby) Roach
34 year old white male, 5’10 210 lbs.

TT’s: Black widow spiders on his arms and a tribal tattoo on his right arm/neck

Flagstaff Police Department. (06-01-2015). The Flagstaff Police Department in conjunction with the Peoria Police Department is looking for a suicidal missing person. The subject is identified as 34 year old Robert (Bobby) Roach and was last seen leaving his vehicle in the Target Parking lot at 1650 S. Milton on Friday, May 29, 2015 at 1600 hrs. The subject was despondent and is believed to be suicidal after leaving the Peoria area.

If you have any information regarding this person please contact Detective Adrian Barreras at 928 679-4055.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Memorial Weekend 2015 Activity

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coco-sheriff-300pxCoconino County, AZ — Historically holiday weekends attract large numbers of people to northern Arizona. Deputies responded to multiple calls for service and initiated many contacts with the public over the Memorial Day weekend Friday, May 22 (noon) – Monday, May 25 (midnight). They responded to approximately 270 citizen requests for assistance and conducted over 500 patrol activities (e.g., area patrols, business checks, traffic stops, etc.).

In efforts to enhance highway, roadway, and recreation safety throughout Coconino County, Deputies in the Flagstaff, Williams, Page Districts, officers conducted approximately 115 traffic stops resulting in: one Aggravated DUI arrest, 19 citations (including two for child restraint offenses, 3 seat belt offenses, several speed citations, and one Title 4 alcohol offense), 8 repair orders, 28 verbal warnings, and 21 written warnings.

Outdoor recreation being higher this time of year, we received over 25 emergency medical related calls, 18 fire related calls, and numerous other calls reporting shooting near public areas, disturbing the peace, large parties, and suspicious activity. Many of these calls were in campground areas or on public land. In an effort to help educate people about off-road, ATV, and boating safety, officers made contact with riders and boaters to ensure safety measures were being followed. We had four reports of off-road related injury accidents in the county.

There were 97 total bookings processed at the Flagstaff and Page Coconino County Detention Facility from May 22 (8:00 am) – May 25 (midnight). Bookings are processed for agencies including: Flagstaff Police Department, Page Police Department, Williams Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety as well as other law enforcement agencies in the county.
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Final paving to resume on US 180 from Flagstaff to Snow Bowl June 1

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sf-peaksFLAGSTAFF — After a winter hiatus, the Arizona Department of Transportation is returning next week to apply the top layer of asphalt along a five-mile segment of US 180 from Schultz Pass to Bader roads (mileposts 214-219).

The work is part of a pavement preservation project that started in summer 2014, but work had to be temporarily suspended until warmer temperatures allowed for the final paving.

The work will occur daily, Monday, June 1 through Saturday, June 6, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Additional work may be necessary throughout the month and additional traffic alerts will be issued in advance of those operations.

During paving operations, the two-lane roadway will be reduced to one lane. Pilot cars will allow for alternating travel and delays can be expected in both directions.

Motorists interested in traveling to the Grand Canyon National Park can use Interstate 40 to State Route 64 in Williams west of Flagstaff as an alternate route.

Pet services in Williams

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clinic-15-05-22-3WILLIAMS — If you are coming to Williams for this long weekend (or pretty much any time), you probably wonder what pet services are available in town. Apart from the Chinese made toys and treats stocked in the general stores.

Veterinary services are available at the Williams Veterinary Clinic open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. The clinic is located at 122 3rd Street. They provide a full range of pet health care services. They also sell Science Diet dog food products at their store. On certain weekends, they hold a vaccine clinic at the Spoiled Rotten Pet Boutique. Their phone number is 928-635-5392.

200-Pets-02They do not, however, have emergency care. There are two locations in Flagstaff that provide emergency pet care. You might want to call ahead to make sure they know that you are coming.

  1. Canyon Pet Hospital, 1054 E. Old Canyon Court, Flagstaff, AZ 928-433-3970
  2. Westside Veterinary Clinic 963 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ, 928-779-0148

Another emergency veterinary clinic is trying to get started in Flagstaff. According to the latest on their web site, the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center of Northern Arizona plans to open on May 29. They plan to be open all weekend long from Friday at 5 p.m. to Monday at 8:30 a.m. to provide emergency medical services for pets. The pet hospital will be open 24 hours on holidays when other veterinary clinics are closed.

200-dog-02As an aside to the Williams clinic, Traci started Spoiled Rotten Pet Boutique & Supplies (Facebook) located at 517 E. Historic Route 66 on the east end of town. They sell cat and dog toys and clothing, bedding and the like. They stock Science Diet foods and treats. They include a selection of treats from the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company that are baked treats iced with yogurt.
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On the grooming front, just down the street from Spoiled Rotten at 402 E. Route 66 is Manytails Pet Grooming. They have pet sitting and daycare services. They open Tuesday through Saturday at 9 a.m. You can call 928-635-8897 for appointments.
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If you are traveling from Kingman, Seligman—and all points west—to Williams, you might have a pet that just needs to be groomed. Or, perhaps, Manytails is too busy to get your pet groomed on time for that formal activity. You can call Aunty Abby’s Pet Services and Doggie Day Spa at 928-380-5123. Aunty Abby’s is located at 47125 N. 5th Street in Ash Fork. She provides bathing, grooming, nail clipping and pet sitting.

One Vehicle Rollover Crash on Lake Mary Road Results in Two Deaths

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FLAGSTAFF — On May 18, 2015 at around 1:30 pm, the Sheriff/Police 911 Dispatch Center in Flagstaff received a report of a one vehicle rollover crash that occurred near milepost 328 Lake Mary Road. On scene responders found two female victims who had been ejected from the vehicle and were deceased, and a male who was trapped inside the vehicle and who was still responsive. First responders extricated the male who was then transported via air to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

The three victims are siblings. The driver who was transported to FMC is 21 year old Nathan Bighorse. He is in stable condition. The two females who succumbed to injuries were his 9 year old and 13 year old sisters. The vehicle was a Chevy ½-ton pickup.

Responding agencies included Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Guardian Medical Ground, Guardian Air, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Blue Ridge Fire Department, and Highlands Fire Department.

At this time the cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office; speed is likely to have been a contributing factor.

Stand Down a success despite the weather

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Arizona Veterans Standdown Alliance photo.

Arizona Veterans Standdown Alliance photo.

FLAGSTAFF — The third High Country Stand Down at the Flagstaff National Guard Armory seems to have been a success. Despite the weather, District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger said that about 125 veterans came through the door just after opening. The event is organized by Philan Tree, assistant to Mandy.

The High Country Stand Down is a branch of the larger Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance (Facebook). For the last three years the High Country Stand Down has been growing.

The event this year is dedicated to Flagstaff Marine Lance Davison, who suffered from PTSD and traumatic brain injury and took his own life in February 2014. Davison is one of the roughly 22 veterans who commit suicide in this country each day, or one every 65 minutes, according to a 2013 study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Stand Down is a collection of services and gifts for homeless veterans and veterans in need. The tables and services all reflect the services available to veterans all year around.

Some of the services, such as the pet care provided at the event, are not just for veterans. Aspen Veterinary Clinic provided check-ups and medical services for pets. The Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic of Flagstaff gave free vaccines. Many of the local veterans seemed to be taking advantage of this service. One family brought in two dogs and about five cats to be vaccinated.

Another service that anyone who resided in Coconino County should be aware of, and take advantage of, is the Downwinder’s Program. The North Count Healthcare system presented their radiation exposure screening and education (RESEP) program. If you lived in Coconino County—and other certain areas of Nevada, Utah or Arizona—from 1959 to 1962, you may be eligible for compensation due to the nuclear weapons testing in Nevada. The Northern Arizona Health Care system provides free screening for people who lived in those regions during that period for cancer and other anomalies that might have been a result of those tests. They even help you file the paperwork.

Northern Arizona University provided dental technicians for dental screening and to assist veterans in filing paperwork for dental work needed.
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The Salvation Army provided hamburgers, hotdogs and chips for the event. They also gave out sack lunches.

One important feature of the event for the last two-years was the Veterans Court. The Veterans Court is called a therapeutic court in the legal system and is available to veterans all year round. This special court was set up at the event solely to quash pending warrants and allow veterans to get their cases moving in the Veterans Court system. This is not the way the normal court works.

Judge Cathleen Nichols, of Coconino Superior Court Division 5, is the coordinator for the Veterans Court. There are two other therapeutic courts for DUIs and mental health issues which work in similar fashion.

Judge Nichols explained that in the normal course of an arrest, the fact that a defendant is a veteran may enter into the paperwork. If it does not, the veteran may identify himself. Self-identification does require the veteran to prove service, such as a DD-214 or retired identification card. This is particularly useful in misdemeanor cases where a defendant is usually not represented by a lawyer.

Once a veteran is identified, the case is reviewed by the office of the County Attorney to see if they can allow it to be referred to the Veterans Court. The attorney of the defendant is also consulted if he has one. It is up to the defendant to decide if they choose to take this course. It does not allow the veteran to “get away” with anything. The veteran will have to agree to probation with all that entails. They may also be required to attend certain classes or programs and report their progress to the court.

Judge Nichols pointed out two unusual features of this therapeutic court in the Coconino County Superior Court system. First is that the veteran does not necessarily have to have an honorable discharge. A person with a convenience of the government or other type discharge may be considered for the Veterans Court. The second feature is that this is the only court system in the State that currently considers felony cases.

The High Country Stand Down also provided back packs stocked with sleeping bags and hygiene kits. They also provided new shoes and the Goodwill Industries provided free clothing for the homeless veterans.

Any organization or corporation which may be able to provide services or products to veterans may participate in the program. To be involved in the Fourth Annual High Country Stand Down, contact Philan Tree at the office of Mandy Metzger at 928-679-7154. For other areas you can consult the Arizona Stand Down Alliance web site.