Valley cop shops are asking the public’s help in tracking down the “$60 Bill Bandit,” who authorities say is responsible for a string of bank robberies that occurred in the east Valley over the last few months.The nickname is funny for one reason: the suspect seems to think United States…
Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock, whose wife and daughter each face charges for having sexual relationships with the same underage boy, announced yesterday he is withdrawing his name from the running to become the next chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors so he can focus on family matters.If…
The Peoria Police Department has been searching for a new police chief and has narrowed its search down to three finalists.Larry Ratcliff has been heading the West Valley police agency since 2007, and he’s ready to retire on February 1.Stepping into his shoes will be either Denton (Texas) Police Chief…
Sources inside the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office say Sheriff Paul Babeu is prepared to fire controversial deputy Louie Puroll tomorrow. These sources say that an internal affairs investigation sustained all of the allegations against Puroll stemming from a series of wide-ranging interviews I conducted with the deputy in the aftermath…
What am I to make of a recent segment of MTV’s Vice Guide To Everything, which featured a gushing portrait of Arizona’s best known neo-Nazi J.T. Ready, as he hunts “narco-terrorists” in the Sonoran desert?(You can watch the J.T. segment, here, beginning around seven minutes in.) Aside from a few…
In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries:…
Outgoing Arizona Congressman John Shadegg has joined the ranks of conservative law professors, writers and policy analysts as a senior fellow at the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute.According to a post by the Institute on Sonoran Alliance, a right-wing blog: Shadegg will support the Goldwater Institute by sharing his experience and expertise…
The 19-year-old Phoenix man accused of murdering his brother and 6-year-old nephew last month isn’t just an alleged drug-dealing murderer, he’s also a student at Arizona State University majoring in construction management, the university’s website shows. And, according to court documents obtained by New Times, Christopher Licon claims to have…
Marijuana business marketer Al Sobol and local doctor Edgar Suter have teamed up to declare a war, of sorts, against the state and backers of Proposition 203, whom they accuse of plotting to toughen up the new law.In a letter e-mailed to the Arizona Department of Health that copies much…
A person of interest has been arrested in the Christmas Day assault of State Representative Frank Pratt in Casa Grande. The possible assailant hasn’t been charged in the Pratt assault — yet — but was arrested in Phoenix on an unrelated warrant earlier today and police in Casa Grande think…
The Phoenix man who led police on multi-jurisdictional chase that ended near Sky Harbor International Airport early this morning assured his girlfriend that “he wasn’t going back to prison.” That was right after he allegedly stabbed her, choked her, beat her head with a rolling pin, and then kidnapped her,…
A homeless man was arrested yesterday after he used two kids to help him in a poorly thought out jewelry heist at a JC Penney store in Phoenix.About 5 p.m. yesterday, 22-year-old Pyne Barlee was arrested at the JC Penney at 1727 West Bethany Home Road in Phoenix. He was…
Jim Keppel, a veteran prosecutor and retired Superior Court judge who returned to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to help out after Andy Thomas resigned last year, spent his first day at his new job yesterday, running the criminal division of the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. …
Note: The Democratic Party’s legal opinion regarding issues raised by a Cherny candidacy is linked in the update below.I’m on deadline at the moment, but I want to bring you this much anticipated news: erstwhile state Treasurer candidate Andrei Cherny just called me to tell me he formally putting two…
The charred remains of a woman found near the Hoover Dam last month have been identified as the owner of a Las Vegas escort service. She was murdered, authorities say, over a $9,000 debt.The remains are those of 39-year-old Yung Park, according to court documents first obtained by the Associated…
The Arizona State Supreme Court is expected to rule today on whether to allow the execution of a convicted murder — on death row for the last 24 years — to go forward.The hangup isn’t determining whether Daniel Wayne Cook is guilty of killing two men in Lake Havasu City…
If a bunch of drunk, loud, obnoxious college-aged kids floating down the Lower Salt River on tubes isn’t enough to keep you away from what is otherwise a gorgeous part of the Valley, now you have large felines with the capability of tearing you to shreds to worry about –…
Pearce vs. Ready: The Dennis Gilman videoNote: Please see update below with response from Senator Pearce.Who’s more credible: Arizona’s best-known neo-Nazi J.T. Ready, or state Senate President-elect Russell Pearce? Watch Dennis Gilman’s latest, and you be the judge. In it is some never-before-seen footage of Pearce endorsing Ready for Ready’s…
In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries:…
It seemed only a matter of time, but the uncle of a 6-year-old boy found shot to death in a Phoenix alley last month has been charged with murder and kidnapping for the death of the boy and his father, the suspect’s brother, who was also found shot to death…
A new Web site launched by the state of Arizona emphasizes the problem of litter from illegal border crossers and seeks volunteers for cleanups. AzBorderTrash.gov was funded by state and federal money, according to the site, leaving one of our Facebook friends to wonder why Arizona considers trash-dumping by illegal immigrants to be more…
A Phoenix man living in the U.S. on a work visa was arrested Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in her own backyard, which is an awful thing to do in its own right. Add to the equation that the victim has down syndrome and the awful situation…
