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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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.

Victims of crime in Los Angeles County gathered Monday night at an event organized by former L.A. mayoral candidate and businessman Rick Caruso to demand justice for their loved ones and a change in the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.   

Emma Rivas, whose son was murdered in December 2020, said she was traumatized a second time when L.A. County DA George Gascón was elected.   

The Torrance mother said Gascón ordered prosecutors to drop the gun and gang enhancements against her son’s killer.   

“The guy that murdered my kid got 20 years less sentence than he was supposed to,” Rivas said at the event.  

Mary Klein, one of the victims in the Venice Canal sexual attacks, which resulted in the death of the other victim, also spoke, saying crime is out of control in the county and her recent near death by an alleged homeless man should serve as an example.   

“Out of the blue was attacked from behind, knocked over, rendered unconscious, kicked in the head numerous times,” she said of the violent assault she endured.  

These were just a few of the emotional stories shared at the event Monday night by survivors of violent crime in L.A. County, all of whom feel that the district attorney’s office needs a new tough-on-crime approach.   

Longtime victims advocate and founder of Justice for Children Lawanda Hawkins, whose own son was murdered, spoke as well.   

“I’m here to address the urgent need for change in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office,” she said, “and to speak out against the harmful policies of the district attorney’s current office.”  

Nathan Hochman, former United States Assistant Attorney General and the candidate running against Gascón for L.A. County DA in the November election, was also on hand and called Gascón’s policies a failed social experiment.   

“We’ve not run that social experiment for three and a half years and now we have the evidence to show that it has failed,” Hochman said.  

Caruso took to the stage to thank those who spoke for sharing their stories and to throw his considerable support behind Hochman for district attorney.   

“We’re here in great respect of your courage, of your generosity to share your stories to better L.A. County and get this man elected,” he said.   

In a statement from his campaign, Gascón responded:  

“Mr. Hochman is clearly still struggling to attract the type of Democratic support that L.A. voters trust. From Mr. Caruso to Steve Cooley, his Rolodex seems mostly composed of longtime Republicans looking to stay relevant after losing their most recent elections.”   

Jocelyn Nungaray, the 12-year-old Houston girl found strangled to death last week, fought back against her attackers, two illegal immigrants who lured her under a bridge where they sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said Tuesday. 

The alleged killers, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, met each other when they were both on their way to the United States from Venezuela and then later connected in Houston, Fox Houston reported. 

Bail for Martinez, a father of two young children, 2 and 5, who aren’t in Texas, was set at $10 million after prosecutors labeled him a flight risk. He still had marks on him left by Nungaray during the June 16 attack, authorities said. Nungaray’s hands and feet were bound, she was nude from the waist down, had marks on her neck, and scrapes on her backside consistent with being dragged, prosecutors said.

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Ramos told authorities he tried to convince Martinez to stop, but he allegedly refused and climbed on top of the girl and strangled her, according to Harris County prosecutor Megan Long. He said Martinez strangled her and suggested placing her in the water to remove DNA evidence. 

“It’s especially difficult when it’s a loss of a 12-year-old child who had their whole life ahead of them. So, this will be an emotional case for us as prosecutors as well as the family,” Long said. 

Martinez allegedly told authorities that he tied Jocelyn’s legs and instructed Pena to throw her in the bayou. Martinez had bite marks and scratches on his arm and had shaved his beard to avoid detection, authorities allege.

After the killing, Ramos allegedly sent a message to his boss at a construction crew saying the two had been partying the night of the killing and that someone ended up dead, and they needed money to leave town, prosecutors said. 

Ramos, who entered the U.S. illegally a month before the killing, appeared in court on Monday where he was also given a $10 million bail amount. Both men are charged with capital murder. 

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Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found strangled to death in a Houston creek this week. (Fox Houston courtesy of the Nungaray family)

Harris County District Court Judge Josh Hill said he set a high bail amount because he didn’t want Ramos or Martinez to flee, but also because he didn’t want them to get deported.

“I’ve seen individuals go into ICE custody, go through the deportation or removal process where they have been ordered to be removed… and that the feds have deported or removed those individuals with the Harris County criminal charges still pending,” Hill said. “And it puts us in the position where those charges would never be answered.”

The killing shocked the community in and around Houston and was one in a series of crimes involving illegal immigrants this month. 

Harris County Judge Lina Hildago, who often comments on local and national political matters, “evil happens regardless of immigration status” before blaming Republicans for the conditions that led to Nungaray’s murder. 

Jocelyn Nungaray’s mother Alexis Nungaray speaks following Pena Ramos’ court appearance on Monday, June 24. (KRIV)

Nungaray’s family, including her mother Alexis Nungaray, was in court Tuesday. Melfri Vargas, stepmother to Alexis Nungaray, called Rangel a “murderer” and said, “I hope they kill your children,” the news station reported.