Southwest
Arizona election worker arrested for allegedly stealing security device from ballot tabulation center
Law enforcement officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, arrested a temporary election worker for allegedly stealing a security fob and keys from a ballot tabulation center.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Walter Ringfield, 27, of Phoenix, was seen on security footage taking the items shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday. The video shows him approaching a desk and multiple tabulators, then taking a red wrist lanyard containing the security fob and keys, the document says.
The statement says Ringfield placed the lanyard in his shorts pocket after briefly stretching. When confronted by his employer, Ringfield allegedly denied the theft, but then suggested the lanyard might be in his car “if” he had mistakenly taken it, the document says. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a red lanyard and a matching plastic tag, but the fob remained missing.
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Walter Ringfield, 27, has been accused of stealing a security fob and keys from Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
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Detectives arrested Ringfield outside his home in Phoenix on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. At the time, the probable cause statement says, they observed a red plastic item inside Ringfield’s car matching the description of the missing lanyard.
Ringfield allegedly admitted to taking the fob but claimed he returned it after approximately 20 minutes, citing a desire to “clean up” in hopes of securing a permanent employment position at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
MCSO detectives then executed a search warrant at Ringfield’s residence and found the missing fob on a dresser in his master bedroom.
Security footage shows Walter Ringfield taking the fob, according to a probable cause statement. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
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At a press conference on Tuesday, Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said election staffers and law enforcement’s “swift response and ultimate action helped safeguard democracy and rapid response to the security protocols we have with elections proved to be effective.”
“If it wasn’t for the staff members at the Maricopa County Elections Center, we wouldn’t have been able to get on this in time to potentially find the missing evidence and get a suspect in custody,” he said.
According to investigators, security fobs are used with special secure tablets. Because one was removed, the staff must now reprogram every fob and tablet.
Walter Ringfield was caught on camera at the Maricopa County’s tabulation center. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
Maricopa County, which has had repeated tabulation equipment concerns, has become a hotbed of election-fraud claims in recent years, especially during the last presidential election in 2020. County officials said they do not expect the incident to “have any impact whatsoever on the primary,” which is scheduled for July 30.
While the incident occurred only months before the highly anticipated presidential election in November, it serves as a reassurance that election safety measures in the county are working, according to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Ringfield is seen walking in the tabulation room. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
“Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process,” Fontes said in a statement.
“While this event is unwelcome, it speaks to the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona’s election systems. The swift actions of the Maricopa County elections staff, including the re-conducting of logic and accuracy tests, builds in extra layers of protection of all affected equipment. This quick response will prevent any potential impact on the upcoming elections. The Secretary of State’s office will collaborate with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice.”
Fox News’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
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Two rare corpse flowers have begun to bloom simultaneously at the Huntington Library in San Marino, the nonprofit organization announced Sunday evening.
Odorysseus, the taller of the two flowers, bloomed first. A second, smaller corpse flower named Odora appears to be following close behind.
The Huntington Library is inviting visitors to take in the flowers’ unique aroma, which is often compared to rotting flesh.
“And so it begins,” the Huntington Library wrote on social media.
Odora is shaped a bit differently than Odorysseus because its spadix is inverted due to a developmental irregularity. This is not expected to affect the blooming of the flower.
“Plot twist!” the Huntington Library wrote on Instagram. “Odora wants to steal the spotlight. Odora’s spathe has started opening, too. Tiny but mighty, we’re in for quite the show with a double bloom.”
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File: The Corpse Flower, as seen in 2024 at The Huntington in San Marino, California. (Photo by Linnea Stephan)
The Huntington is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, and is closed on Tuesdays. Reservations are required Friday through Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons. “Twilight stroll” hours are available on the Huntington’s website.
The public can also watch a live stream of the bloom on the organization’s YouTube channel.
Family members have identified 15-year-old Rosemead High School student Aziel Zacapala as the boy killed in a stabbing outside an elementary school in El Monte on July 10.
A candlelight vigil was held for Zacapala at the Rosemead skate park at 6 p.m. Saturday. The original location of the vigil was moved from 9700 Fern Street in El Monte, where the stabbing happened, as homicide detectives continue to investigate the scene.
Zacapala was one of three people stabbed during a fight that broke out on Fern Street around 1 p.m., according to information released by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the El Monte Police Department. Authorities were called to a local emergency room that afternoon, where two adults and Zacapala were being treated for stab wounds.
Zacapala was pronounced dead at the hospital. The adult victims are in stable condition and expected to survive, authorities said.
A GoFundMe page created to help Zacapala’s family pay for funeral expenses described the slain teen as a “beloved nephew, friend, son and high school football player” … “whose life was tragically cut short.”
“Aziel was a good kid, full of promise and kindness, and he had big dreams of making it to the big leagues as a football player,” the GoFundMe page reads. “His absence leaves a deep void in our family and community.”
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15-year-old Aziel Zacapala was stabbed to death in El Monte on July 10, 2026. (GoFundMe) -
A vigil was held for 15-year-old Aziel Zacapala Satruday. “AZ” was stabbed to death in El Monte on July 10, 2026. (KTLA)
Zacapala, known as “AZ” by fellow Rosemead High School students, was playing football with friends at Rosemead Park’s Fourth of July event days before the suspected attack, his family said. Now his loved ones are asking for community support as they mourn his death.
“His mother, who is currently unemployed and raising two other young children — including a newborn — has been doing Instacart orders just to stay afloat,” the GoFundMe reads. “Now, she faces the overwhelming daily hardships of supporting her family during this devastating time.”
As of Saturday night, the GoFundMe has raised $16,000 of its $24,000 goal.
No suspects were found at the scene of the stabbing and no arrests have been made in the case, authorities said.
“Investigators are still working to determine whether more than one suspect was involved,” LASD deputies said Saturday morning. “Currently, there is no suspect description available.”
Anyone with information about the stabbings is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
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