Eric Morales, 26, was found murdered and partially buried in the desert North of Gila Bend last month, and yesterday the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office announced it’s arrested a suspect: a man who was living in Morales’ house at the time of his disappearance.Morales was last seen alive by family…
A group of accordion fanatics in Texas aren’t happy with Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake.This coming weekend is the International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, Texas. The Festival is subsidized by the National Endowment of the Arts, an independent agency of the federal government pegged with dishing out cash in the…
Former Alaska Governor/the best person Governor Jan Brewer could find to write the foreword to her new book, Sarah Palin, isn’t going to run for president this year — but there’s a Senate seat in a certain Southwestern haven for far-right-wing-nuts that she’s rumored to have been eying for several…
If you’re a criminal, illegal immigrant, or just don’t want to get hassled by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s boys in beige, avoid West Phoenix tomorrow — the MCSO’s staging its latest “crime-suppression operation.”The MCSO isn’t saying where it will focus its op, only noting that it will be in Phoenix and…
This weekend is the 11th annual International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a three-day gathering of accordions, polka music, and, of course, beer.But if you ask Gwen Rivera, director of the International Accordion Festival, it’s more than just a gathering of polka fans who sit around and consume…
Unbelievably, there was only one fatality in a series of large-vehicle wrecks on Interstate 10 yesterday afternoon, and the deceased has been identified 66-year-old William Tatsch of Austin, Texas.In total, there were three separate wrecks — involving nearly 30 vehicles — caused by a dust storm that hit the highway near…
Kimmie Dwayne Baker apparently is a religious man. Well, at the very least, he owns a Bible — in which he allegedly stashed evidence from a burglary he’d committed at Tempe High School where he works.According to the Tempe Police Department, Baker was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing more than…
Despite the fact that police recommended that former Glendale cop Christopher Balmaceda be charged with one count of sexual abuse and four counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to teenage girls — kissing and touching one of them — the Maricopa County…
The Arizona Diamondbacks are down, but they’re not out.Trailing the Milwaukee Brewers two games to none in the National League Division Series, the Snakes thumped the Brewers 8-1 last night, with an exclamation point in the form of a Paul Goldschmidt grand slam in the fifth inning (the rookie first baseman…
UPDATE: See the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office’s explanation for not charging Balmaceda here.A former Glendale cop accused of sexting several teenage girls, and sexually abusing another, won’t be charged with any crimes.Police recommended that former Glendale Officer Christopher Balmaceda be charged with one count of sexual abuse and four counts…
At least one person is dead and more than a dozen are injured thanks to a dust storm that caused a wreck on the I-10 this afternoon involving at least 30 vehicles.According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the wreck occurred near milepost 217, about a quarter-mile east of…
United States House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith wrote a letter to President Barack Obama today asking that he appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Attorney General Eric Holder lied when he testified before Congress about “Operation Fast and Furious,” the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms botched gun…
Phoenix police found the body of a man in the bottom of his pool last night who just happened to be a suspected kid-diddler.Phoenix Sergeant Steve Martos tells New Times that detectives went to the Phoenix home of 58-year-old James Ziarnick about 9 p.m. yesterday to talk to him about…
As we reported earlier this year, Governor Jan Brewer has written a book. Well, she had someone ghost-write a book on her behalf that’s scheduled to be released November 1.As we noted in our previous report, Jan’s new book wasn’t just written by a ghost-writer, it was written by a…
Congratulations to the New Times reader who goes by the handle Anrdew Thom Ass, you are the proud winner of this week’s New Times You Write the Caption contest.On Friday, we asked readers to provide what they thought would be an appropriate caption for the above photo of Bruce Wardell…
Scottsdale Lieutenant Mike Stauffer announced that he’s switching party affiliation in his push to unseat Joe Arpaio as the sheriff of Maricopa County.Stauffer, a life-long Republican, originally planned to face Arpaio in a GOP primary as a Republican. He’s now running as an Independent.See Stauffer’s explanation of his decision here.It’s…
Scottsdale Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, the man who hopes to unseat Joe Arpaio as Maricopa County sheriff, announced Friday that he’s switching party affiliation to run as an Independent.It’s probably a pretty good move — Stauffer originally was running as a Republican, which means he would have had to face Arpaio…
A Phoenix woman is dead after apparently running herself over with her own vehicle in what police are describing as a tragic “accident.”Phoenix police say they found the body of 33-year-old Mendy E. Brooks pinned underneath her SUV in the middle of the road in a neighborhood near Campbell Drive…
Phoenix firefighter Mark Nehrenz was arrested Saturday afternoon after he hit a teenager with his truck and then just drove off, according to police.The victim suffered a broken hip and is expected to recover.According to court records obtained by New Times, police suspect that Nehrenz was drunk when he hit…
Alleged Phoenix scammer Donald Lapre, the owner of the company The Best Vitamin in the World, was found dead in his prison cell in Florence yesterday morning in what authorities say was an apparent suicide.Lapre, who was indicted in June for fraud, was found unresponsive in his cell in a…
With the Arizona Cardinals ahead by four points with about four minutes remaining in their 31-27 loss to the New York Giants yesterday, we said to a friend “and now Eli Manning’s gonna march the G-men down the field and win this game.Then Eli Manning marched his team down the…
Last week, we asked our readers to offer suggestions for an appropriate caption for the above booking photo of Bruce Wardell for this week’s New Times’ You Write the Caption contest.Wardell is accused of watching porn in front of his girlfriend’s 6-year-old daughter. His girlfriend, Latease Coddington, who lived in…
